Please help: what's wrong with my roo?

[dustbath]

My rooster seems to be having trouble roosting! He's always insisted on sleeping on a roost, unlike the hen, who will settle for a nest on the floor. The day before yesterday, in the evening after dark, I heard a terrible commotion in the coop and came out to find him flopping around on the floor, with one wing stretched out. I picked him up, put him in a box on some straw and went in search of a neighbor who could advise me on what was wrong. When I moved him, he thrashed around until he positioned himself comfortably. He was also panting heavily.

A neighbor suggested that he was overheated (it's been suddenly much warmer) and dehydrated. I spoon fed him water and after a while he perked uo, jumped out of the box and ran around. I put him back on the roost in the coop and everything seemed fine until two evenings later (tonight).

Tonight I went out to check and found him on the floor of the coop instead of on the roost. I put him back on the roost but when I went out about 15 minutes later, he was back on the floor. It was then pitch black but when I shone a light on the roost, he jumped back up.

What's going on? Is he sick or injured? He's always insisted on sleeping on a roost before. Is the hen (there are only the 2 of them together) pushing him off? Is it heat related?

Any ideas or suggestions? He's really a pet and I don't want to lose him!

Thanks!!

 

[dustbath]

Update: when I went out to the coop at after sun-up, he was back on the roost and has been staying there. He seems less energetic than usual and less feed is being consumed (he's with a hen so I don't know who is eating what). He also isn't doing much crowing. Usually he and the other rooster (housed in an adjouning pen) crow back and forth.

I hand fed him some egg, yoghurt and oatmeal. He wouldn't eat very much of it (he generally takes coaxing to accept hand feeding.

I am really worried about him and have no idea what to do.

I don't know how old he is. The bedding is wood shavings.

I hope someone out there has some suggestions or ideas?

 

[robin416]

My first thought it the weather. You said it had gotten hot, I imagine it is also humid. Put some V&E in their water for a few days, see if that helps some.

Have you seen them panting?

 

[dustbath]

The weather did change pretty dramatically and the temp rose by about 10 degrees. The other night, when he collapsed (or something) he was panting heavily. Not today though.

Would heat make him leave the roost at night, in the dark? It seems very strange!

 

[robin416]

If its hot up under the roof, then yes the heat could get at him enough to cause him to leave.

Do you have any vents up there to allow the heat to escape?

 

[dustbath]

There are vents. The roosts are about 3 to 4 feet below the roof, about 2.5 feet off the ground.

UPDATE: he seemed better this morning but now has started stumbling when he walks and is sitting on the ground (very unusual behavior)!

 

[blackfootfarm]

Are you using cedar shavings or pine. You probably know this already, but just in case you don't,I read somewhere on this site that cedar shavings are poisonous to chickens.

 

[dustbath]

He's on pine shavings now. I was using cedar: there isn't much bedding and he's never reacted before but I switched when he got sick, just in case.

I talked to the woman I got him from and learned that he's 10 years old.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Wow, a 10 year old rooster!!!!!! What a wise old guy!!!!

 

[blackfootfarm]

Oh man!

how long can they live??? You must have taken extra special care of him! He might just be showing his age.