Rehabilitating a Rooster

[ColtHandorf]

Have you put any ointment in the eyes? It does look like he's healing - it takes some time for all the swelling to go down for sure. I almost lean toward not putting ointment in the eye that is not fully open if there is no pus - maybe give another day and see if it's reduced.

No pus that I've been able to tell. I know his face bothers him so I haven't examined it really well as that requires me restraining his head which can't feel good. So I just look with my eyes (no hands) when he's napping or sitting with me while I'm changing his potty pads.

It's good that he is responding to you/talking a bit though.

I think so too. He likes the running water and music in the mornings so I left the tv on for him. The Sex in the City dvd was the first one I thought of that would play after a short time on the menu screen repeatedly so hopefully he's enjoying that.

I would try the wet feed and see if he will eat that. Not all birds like mash, but mine do.
Scrambled eggs are usually a hit as well.

I've never tried scrambled egg with mine, but I used to make egg food all the time for the small birds I used to breed and raise. I can probably make a tiny bit of that, or scramble him one.

I didn't realize you had previously had respiratory illness in your flock? I might be mistaken!
Anyway, if that's the case, then @Eggcessive is right, if you have dealt with disease like MG then a stressor like fighting/injury can make birds relapse/become symptomatic. I do hope that's not the case.

I hope not.

As for what they test for NPIP - every state is different on requirements, so you would want to ask the folks that do the testing to find that out.

Good to know. I remember the good ol' days when Texas A&M just showed up and did it for me. lol With the antigen shortage I haven't even tried to schedule another testing. Plus there are no testers in my county so it's a huge pain to get someone to come out.

 

[Eggcessive]

Super B Complex (human) tablets are available at the grocery and drug stores. They can be crushed 1/4 tablet daily and sprinkled over food or in water. If symptoms cleared last summer with a few days of Denegard, that might be MG. Hard to know.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Super B Complex (human) tablets are available at the grocery and drug stores. They can be crushed 1/4 tablet daily and sprinkled over food or in water. If symptoms cleared last summer with a few days of Denegard, that might be MG. Hard to know.

I believe I have some Vitamin B12 tablets at home. I'll look when I get home from work. Regarding the respiratory issues last summer after Googling a hundred different things I'd decided it was MG but haven't ever had it tested. Since then I haven't had a break out either. But at the behest of another local Orpington breeder who told me to try the Denegard it did clear up.

 

[Eggcessive]

Not B12, but B complex. Many think that B12 is 12 different B vitamins, but it is only B12 or cyanocobalamine. B complex or super B complex has all of the B vitamins plus some C sometimes.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Not B12, but B complex.

Thank you for clarifying. I know I have a bottle of something with a B on it. So I shall do some rooting to see if I can find it and if it would be appropriate for him.

 

[Eggcessive]

These are under $5 at Walgreens buy one get one free:

 

[That_australian_lad]

he is beautiful I'm sorry he is injured

 

[micstrachan]

Poor guy. I see improvement! Seems he is on a path to recovery.

I think MG is opportunistic, meaning symptoms reappear under stress, but I could be wrong.

Is there an especially sweet and gentle hen who could visit with him awhile and see if she perks him up?

 

[ColtHandorf]

I think MG is opportunistic, meaning symptoms reappear under stress, but I could be wrong.

I think you're right.

Is there an especially sweet and gentle hen who could visit with him awhile and see if she perks him up?

Not particularly. lol All my girls are kind of spunky. What I think I'll do instead of bringing one in to him, is to make him a nice little pile of hay and take him out for thirty minute - hour long supervised field trips until he really gets his feet underneath him. His girls are in their own pen now so the other roosters won't bother him.

And now for an update:

I got completely ready this morning with nary a peep from him, just his little sing-song noises every now and then, and a gentle cough/sneeze. As soon as I turned on the TV for him so he'd have "company" he started crowing! Like up on his feet, neck extended, full-on crow. I was slightly appalled because he's in the house and people are sleeping because of their work schedules, but he probably crowed seven or eight times before he plopped down. And then crowed twice more while he was sitting. Crowing is a good sign. And it was full-voiced, no scratchy, phlegm-y sort of sound.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Well I may have been to optimistic. I got home from taking care of a client’s home aquarium and when I walked in the room he was flapping away and being silly in the bathroom. By the time I got in there, I saw something that I hoped was water but I’m pretty sure is mucus being flung from his beak. He had a few wet sounding coughs and I’m thinking MG is probably the cause. It’s so frustrating because I have no idea how I got it, and there’s no way to get rid of it. I know Denegard treats it but I’m not sure I can get any before he’ll be too far gone. Is there anything more readily available I might be able to find? I have two mom and pop feed stores near and TSC and Atwood’s.