Pale Faced Yellow Pooping Lethargic Rooster

[Lifeiseasy]

My one-year-old really sweet RIR rooster is sick. Yesterday morning my mother noticed him moving slowly and sitting with his feathers a little puffed up, I thought it was just because of the random cold snap (my roosters a big baby he always has been) by the evening he was acting fine. Cut to this morning and we let them all out to free range while we do some yard work but after about an hour he went into the coop and was just sitting on a mound of dirt. I gave him some Nutridrench water and an egg and he moved a little and went back out with the hens and fell asleep in a bush. He pooped while he was sitting there and it was really yellow and almost completely water. I don’t have any pictures right now but I’ll try to upload some later. We’ve already isolated him in a small coop in a cool spot with some water and food but we don’t know what’s going on or how to make him better. Any tips?

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Lifeiseasy,

Your rooster is very ill, his poop is water because he has not been eating. More details are needed to determine what could be causing his illness.

You mentioned a cold snap, he requires a warm place without any drafts. A temperature of about 65 to 70 degrees would be beneficial.

Please examine him closely for the following:

• Feel the crop in the morning, is it hard or squishy with a bad smell, gaseous sounds?
• What do the poops look like? Watery or mucousy? What color? yellow and watery.
• Look under the feet, make sure there are no sores or cuts.
• Look at the legs, are they smooth? Are the scales lifting?
• Feel under her belly, check for blisters or swelling.
• Look for mites and lice under the feathers, neck, under wings, vent area.
• Look under the wings, check for lumps or sores.
• Check the chicken's vent, is it clean and pink? Nothing hanging out?
• Listen to the breathing, do you hear any wheezing or rattle noise?
• Look at the nostrils, any discharge or bubbles coming out?
• Look at the eyes, are they bright, clear and round, iris shape & color OK?
• Look at the comb and wattles, are there any scabs or growths? How is the color?
• Is the chicken sleepy, and/or feathers puffed up? Sleepy and feathers puffed.

Now Describe the Chicken's Environment:

• What do you feed the chicken?
• Does the chicken free range? You said, they free range.
• Have you had any rodent problems recently?
• Have there been any predator attacks recently?
• Have there been any extreme weather events recently? You said, cold snap.

Hopefully, the members will be able to recommend a course of treatment to you, after more information is provided.


God Bless

 

[Lifeiseasy]

His crop is a little squishy but not majorly so and there is no smell, his feet are fine and there are no lice/mites on him that I can tell. His vent and belly seem fine. There is no discharge nor breathing issues and his comb is a little small but other than that it’s bright red. As for his environment, they don’t free range all the time, just when we are outside. We are also dealing with a mouse infestation right now and there haven’t been any noticeable predator issues. He is normally on Purina layer crumbles but we did switch him when we isolated him to a lower-calcium show bird feed that will hopefully perk him up. The weather right now is in the mid to upper sixties and he is eating, just not a lot.

 

[Cayuga momma]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/
This might help you figure out what could be wrong. It's a chicken symptom checker.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

OK, great.

You also, should check his temperature. Then, you'll know if he is fighting an infection. Sometimes, a chicken can peck at and eat from a dead carcass (squirrel, rat, mouse, birds, etc.), or drink from polluted, standing water. These things can cause infection, if it's bacterial, he may need a broad spectrum antibiotic.

How to take an adult chicken's Temperature

1. Restrain the chicken by wrapping it in a towel and tying the legs with a sock, then, holding it facing backwards under your non-dominant arm. Hold the chicken gently against your body, and slide the hand underneath the legs and hold firmly, it may struggle.
   
   
2. Gently insert the thermometer into the cloaca, about ½ inch or so.
   
   
3. The chicken’s temperature is relatively high compared to humans and should be between 105.8° F – 107.06° (40.6°C and 41.7°C).
   
   
4. Remember that the stress from handling the chicken can slightly elevate its temperature.
   

If the temperature is at the upper end of the range, you can still consider this a fever.

 

[Lifeiseasy]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/
This might help you figure out what could be wrong. It's a chicken symptom checker.

Thank you, I checked it out and the three things it’s telling me are avian flu, E.Coli, and a dietary issue but that last one didn’t load correctly for me to be able to read all of it. I’m hoping he’ll poop soon so I can take a picture of it to post on here.

 

[Lifeiseasy]

OK, great.

You also, should check his temperature. Then, you'll know if he is fighting an infection. Sometimes, a chicken can peck at and eat from a dead carcass (squirrel, rat, mouse, birds, etc.), or drink from polluted, standing water. These things can cause infection, if it's bacterial, he may need a broad spectrum antibiotic.

Okay, I’ll have to do that later when we can buy a thermometer for him so we’re not using one of ours. I’ll post an update once I do.

 

[Cayuga momma]

I believe Avian flu usually has green poop and usually see signs such as coughing, wheezing, and sneezing. In this case antibiotics might help.
I believe with E coli the only thing to be done is antibiotics and even then it might not help.
As far as dietary issues I'm gonna need a little time to check that out.

 

[Cayuga momma]

Is taking him to a vet an option?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post a picture of his droppings? He could possibly have coccidiosis with his runny poops. Bright yellow poops like mustard can be common in E.coli infection.

I would get some Corid (amprollium) from your feed store and start treatment for coccidiosis. Until then, if you have some Poultry NutriDrench or SaveAChick I would give some. The PND can be given 3 ml daily a drop at a time orally.
corid is found in the cattle meds in feed stores. Mix 1.5 tsp of Corid powder or 10 ml (2 tsp) of Corid liquid per gallon of water for 5-7 days.

For feeding, I would give him a small bowl of chicken feed with a lot of water, and mix in some plain yogurt 1 tsp daily, and some cooked egg. Change it daily. Do not give vitamins during Corid, but they can be given before and after Corid.

If you choose not to give Corid, think about taking some droppings by your vet’s to get a fecal float to test for worms and coccidiosis. Also look him over under his vent and elsewhere for lice or mites.