PLEASE HELP WHATS WRONG WITH MY ROOSTER?! is he suffering??

[pennyJo1960]

Not wheezing or coughing. one thing I did notice, when I help him drink water his stomach makes a noise after he swallows.

could the others stop him from eating ?

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

they have acres to Rome and they usually scratch and find bugs, we feed them pellet food a lot too

Sounds like you're giving them plenty of good nutrition so I wouldn't be to concerned about malnutrition unless he is underweight/thin.

 

[frostic]

The only thing i can suggest is take him to a vet asap. he could have a broken neck bone or piched nerve in his neck from a cracked bone. only way to know is take him to a vet and get him x-rayed and checked professionly.

 

[Roxyknowles18]

could the others stop him from eating ?

I highly doubt that when I feed them I make sure all of them get food and no one is left out, I just don't know if he's suffering or not

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Sorry your boy isn't feeling well.

I would get him in a cage on paper towels. Someone here can often get useful info from poop pictures. Very good diagnostic tool.

What kind of pellets do you feed? Do they have free choice food or do you feed them 2x a day etc? What else are they fed? You say they have free range, is it all grass or what's there?

How does his crop feel? That can be a good clue also, squishy, empty, hard and full?

We have BYC'ers here with much medical knowledge, these are things they'll want to know to be able to help more.

 

[Roxyknowles18]

Sorry your boy isn't feeling well.

I would get him in a cage on paper towels. Someone here can often get useful info from poop pictures. Very good diagnostic tool.

What kind of pellets do you feed? Do they have free choice food or do you feed them 2x a day etc? What else are they fed? You say they have free range, is it all grass or what's there?

How does his crop feel? That can be a good clue also, squishy, empty, hard and full?

We have BYC'ers here with much medical knowledge, these are things they'll want to know to be able to help more.

he is in a separate cage with food and water. his poop is solid, white brown and green. They are fed layer pellet, we have 2 acres of dirt and a little bit of weeds and grass. we feed them lots of scraps (ex: lettuce, chips tortillas, pasta) his crop feels squishy.

 

[Roxyknowles18]

Sorry your boy isn't feeling well.

I would get him in a cage on paper towels. Someone here can often get useful info from poop pictures. Very good diagnostic tool.

What kind of pellets do you feed? Do they have free choice food or do you feed them 2x a day etc? What else are they fed? You say they have free range, is it all grass or what's there?

How does his crop feel? That can be a good clue also, squishy, empty, hard and full?

We have BYC'ers here with much medical knowledge, these are things they'll want to know to be able to help more.

( the far right is lettuce)

 

[mixedbreeds]

I'm leaning toward a fight. He has what looks like peck marks on his comb and wattles. And you saying one of his eyes is black makes me think his pupil is enlarged, which could be caused by a head injury. Its so hard to say without knowing more. Id keep him separate, give him some Nutri Drench, electrolyte water and wet down food. Just kinda baby him thru unless you can find more info or injury.

X2 looks like he lost a fight to me but it’s hard to say for sure just looking at pictures.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Roxyknowles18,

I am not a vet, just a chicken keeper like you. But, I have raised 8 roosters over the years. Had one with an eye injury, also.

Your rooster appears to have been beaten up not once, but many times. His cornea appears to be damaged, this is why his eye looks strange and dark. He is exhausted, and is suffering from shock.

• His eye needs to be attended to. An ophthalmic, triple antibiotic or Terramycin ointment (purchase at a feed/farm store) should be applied to the lower lid, twice a day for two weeks. When he blinks or closes his eye the ointment will slide over the eyeball evenly, to prevent infection.

• If it is cold where you live, he will benefit from a warm place to sleep. Keep him out of drafts.

• A good supportive diet of meat protein, cooked grains, diced fruit, fresh or cooked vegies and dry or moist feed. He will need this diet till he regains his strength.

• If you have some poultry vitamins, administer some. Also some electrolytes in his water for a day.

• Re-examine him for any puncture wounds, tomorrow. Check the back of his neck, chest, and between his wings. You may see yellow, green or purple skin, this is bruising, from being flogged.

• You will also have to watch for secondary infection, as his immune system is weakened in response to the shock. In fact, he may already be ill, and this weakness may have prompted the attacks. So, be prepared to administer an oral antibiotic. Respiratory illness is common this time of year, and roosters do hide their illness very well. You mentioned hearing a noise when he drinks.

• Observe his eating and water intake, his pooping, too. If these things are normal, and there is no other illness, he should recover, with your care.

You may not be able to return him to the flock, if the other rooster doesn't want him there. Also, if he is away from the flock for more than a day he will not be welcomed back by the other rooster. When you have multiple roosters, there is always a possibility that the relationships will suddenly change. Roosters that were calm together, can start fighting, or one can do all the fighting, while the other just takes the beating.

Of course, these are my assumptions based on your details and the photos of your rooster, along with my rooster experiences. I could be wrong...so please consider the advice that other members provide, as well.

These are my thoughts on your rooster's situation, I hope they are helpful.

God Bless and peace to you and your dear rooster.

 

[Roxyknowles18]

Greetings Roxyknowles18,

I am not a vet, just a chicken keeper like you. But, I have raised 8 roosters over the years. Had one with an eye injury, also.

Your rooster appears to have been beaten up not once, but many times. His cornea appears to be damaged, this is why his eye looks strange and dark. He is exhausted, and is suffering from shock.

• His eye needs to be attended to. An ophthalmic, triple antibiotic or Terramycin ointment (purchase at a feed/farm store) should be applied to the lower lid, twice a day for two weeks. When he blinks or closes his eye the ointment will slide over the eyeball evenly, to prevent infection.

• If it is cold where you live, he will benefit from a warm place to sleep. Keep him out of drafts.

• A good supportive diet of meat protein, cooked grains, diced fruit, fresh or cooked vegies and dry or moist feed. He will need this diet till he regains his strength.

• If you have some poultry vitamins, administer some. Also some electrolytes in his water for a day.

• Re-examine him for any puncture wounds, tomorrow. Check the back of his neck, chest, and between his wings. You may see yellow, green or purple skin, this is bruising, from being flogged.

• You will also have to watch for secondary infection, as his immune system is weakened in response to the shock. In fact, he may already be ill, and this weakness may have prompted the attacks. So, be prepared to administer an oral antibiotic. Respiratory illness is common this time of year, and roosters do hide their illness very well. You mentioned hearing a noise when he drinks.

• Observe his eating and water intake, his pooping, too. If these things are normal, and there is no other illness, he should recover, with your care.

You may not be able to return him to the flock, if the other rooster doesn't want him there. Also, if he is away from the flock for more than a day he will not be welcomed back by the other rooster. When you have multiple roosters, there is always a possibility that the relationships will suddenly change. Roosters that were calm together, can start fighting, or one can do all the fighting, while the other just takes the beating.

Of course, these are my assumptions based on your details and the photos of your rooster, along with my rooster experiences. I could be wrong...so please consider the advice that other members provide, as well.

These are my thoughts on your rooster's situation, I hope they are helpful.

God Bless and peace to you and your dear rooster.

Thank you so much. he is outside ( it a fenced area) , doesn't get too cold, but I will but a box with hay out there tomorrow for him.. thank you so much again, as far as his neck being down like that what are your thoughts??