Hi all--I am having a problem with my house chicken Charlie. A little background...He is a 4? year old rooster that I got from a friend 3 years ago. My chickens wouldnt allow him in the coop and he lost a lot of weight living in the barn with a few other "outcasts." When I foun him his feet were frozen. I brought him in the house and they thawed, then came off, then his shanks dropped off. So now he walks on his drumsticks which have grown a little pad-like thing like a foot--sort of. He lives in the house in the winter and in a pen with shelter and a duck buddy in the summer. So--this is his third winter in the house. Last week I noticed that his comb was paler and he was sleeping more and not crowing at 7AM to wake me up. I medicated him with Sulmet/tetracycline in his water for a week, shrouded his cage and put in a heating pad and he seemed to get better; eating better and crowing again. Now two days later he has stopped crowing again and is even paler. I checked him for mites and he did/does have some; I dusted him with wood ash tonight and started him on Sulmet again. I plan to go to TSC and get some Sevin to dust him with tomorrow...or maybe I can find mine (it's got to be here somewhere!) I also cleaned and washed his cage and gave him a new towel. Is there anything else I should do for him? He just finished is molt--I had to desheath all the feathers on his head cause he looked like a porcupine! I guess they use their feet to help with that! One site said that they can get a pale comb during that time...I am worried though--he is such a personable bird! Thanks for reading--I sure hope somebody has ideas! Terri O
