Please help!!! Hurt/sick rooster, not sure what to do!!!

[pkfranco]

Found one of our little roosters this morning in the yard. He apparently missed curfew and lock up. His neck is turned around like he was going to roost. His eyes will open if you disturb him, but he won't get up.

They are free range during the day and penned for safety at night. They get scratch, but we've tried to just let them free-range. We also have a "chicken pan" that we keep in the kitchen and bring out for them. The chicken pan is usually brought out each afternoon, but sometimes it sits for several hours or even overnight if we forget to bring it out. We give them ProBios, flax seed oil, leftover oatmeal from breakfast or even oats mixed with raw milk along with leftovers and peelings and such. If we have the raw milk start to sour we either use it for baking or bread or we portion it out to the birds. The chickens have the run of the place (even though they are supposed to stay in the fenced yard). 16 hens and 1 rooster were given to us free 1-1/2 years ago from a man raising roosters. Several of the hens have raised broods of chicks and this rooster is about 5 months old from the last brood. My family and friends all call them "gang banger" or "ghetto chickens" because they're so tough, but we get eggs (not many lately) and the children love having chickens and chicks to play with. They are kind of aggressive to each other (even the hens have spurs), but even the rooster is non-aggressive to the family.

His stools look fine, and he'll try to move around if you push him, but can't get up. No apparent injuries, but he was fighting yesterday.

What should we do? The vet will see him at 3:30pm if he lives that long. We purposely don't name the chickens (okay, we named two of the roosters "Darryl" and "His Other Brother Darryl"), but the children know all these chickens by sight. I haven't let the children out into the yard yet just in case it's botulism or something equally horrid. I don't want to lose the chicken or other chickens and animals, but if there is something like botulism that my CHILDREN may get, I'd KILL every last animal on the place to keep them from getting it.

I'm trying not to cry 'cause it just gets the children all upset. We don't homeschool on Fridays so they are kind of wondering why they can't go play outside yet.

What should we do?

 

[heritagebirds]

I wish I could help, but I can't think of anything. Maybe someone else will chime in.

 

[jbowyer01]

If I'm reading correctly he was accidently locked out during the night correct? Is he injured in any other way (look under his wings, etc..)? Could another animal have gotten a hold of him? I didnt see where your from but was it really cold? I'd keep him in a quiet and dark cool place until he gets to the vet. Maybe offer sugar water and alittle yougart or scrambled egg. I hope someone with a little more experience can help. Good luck.

 

[pkfranco]

We're in Sealy,Texas (outside Houston). I didn't see any signs of injury on him, but I didn't pick him up. The neck being twisted back was bothering me and I was afraid to pick him up. No blood anywhere. Our dog has a stuffed duck toy that he leaves laying around the yard. The chickens like to lay out and "sun" themselves in the yard. Always freaks me out thinking one of them is laying dead in the yard or something (we had a problem with hawks last year). Yesterday around 6 we left for the park and I saw the dog's stuffed duck laying in the yard, but now I'm not so sure it wasn't this chicken. I feel horrible. That poor little chicken may have been there since last night when we left. This rooster and one other was out in the yard this morning when I went out to feed everybody and let the chickens out.

His neck is twisted around and laying on the ground. I thought he was dead when I walked up on him, but he opened his eyes, but didn't lift his head. He's laying on his side, but can't seem to get himself up. When I nudged him over, he struggled a little bit, even his feet, but still do anything.

 

[jbowyer01]

Poor fellow. I know the feeling my dog injured one of my chicks. I would gently pick him up and place him in a cool dark pen until you can take him to the vet since thats your plan. Keep an eye on him and offer the sugar water (though I think polyvisol is recommended more) maybe scramble an egg and see if he takes any. That would get him out of the open and in a secure area.

 

[pkfranco]

Okay, we've been to the vet. He said it definitely was not botulism. He has a spinal/head injury of some kind from fighting yesterday. The vet gave me Polyotic powder to be mixed with water and given to the chicken three times a day orally. It also works as an antibiotic he said. So the little rooster will need to be babied (medicated,fed, watered, kept clean) until he gets better. The children are playing in the yard and I'm on the way out to let out some very upset chickens who have been locked up since dusk last night. Oh, and the goats can come out now too. All in all not a bad day.

 

[jbowyer01]

just wondering how the little roo was doing?

 

[pkfranco]

The little rooster is being tended (read spoiled) thoroughly. I had to hand feed him (more like force feed) for 2 days, but he's eating fine now. He is even out in a 4' x 4' x 4' chicken pen in the yard during the day, but he's back in his laundry basket in the kitchen at night. Boy, those plastic laundry basket sure come in handy for so many things, don't they? He can move his head most of the way around, but not all the way to the right (still partially paralyzed?). He loves his oatmeal/cornmeal/yogurt meals and gobbles them down. He kicks his legs, but can't quite get up yet. He spends a good bit of time breakdancing in his basket at night.

We are just waiting to see if he recovers completely. Anyone have an opinion on how long we should wait to see if he gets better or not?

By the way, we have another injured rooster in the pen next to this one. It's definitely spring time. This rooster (called "Darryl") usually sleeps in with the goats to stay out of the big dominant rooster's way, but for some reason he decided to go into the pen with the big rooster (and hens) and came out the next morning all beat up. I think we're going to worm everybody, fatten them back up, and put them all in the freezer, and then get some normal chickens. These came from a gentlemen breeding and raising game cocks. These are serious "gang banger" chickens. Are all chickens this vicious. Plus these chickens are smaller than meat/egg chickens so they go right over the 4' fence, which would be fine if they headed out into the 11 available acres to forage, but, no, they head straight for the front yard where the garden is. We clipped 10 feathers on one wing and it hasn't slowed them down much. I told hubby that I may just throw some money at this and buy an electric poultry fence to contain them, but I'm a bit concerned about the children (10,8,4).

I'm a big sissy and don't think I can butcher the chickens. There is a place (far) that will "process" them for a fee. Anyone know how to find an processor closer? What do y'all think?

 

[jbowyer01]

LOL I'm a wimp too. I give a lot of credit to those who can process their own. I have a very sweet rooster so not all of them are mean. The only time Duke gets riled up is if he thinks I'm hurting his girls (like when I kick one of the broodies off the nest and they do all that shreeking lol). I'm not sure about how to find someone that will process for you but I'm sure someone on here knows. Good Luck!

 

[bogner101]

Hello I was wondering if you put the powder in the water and if so what was the amount? I have baby chicks that are dieing and the vet wants me to use the powder but did not give me the amount that I am supposed to put in their water.