Hi everyone, I would really appreciate your help and advice on this. My roo has been deteriorating for a long time now to the sad state that he's in today.
1) What type of bird , age and weight: Buff Wyandotte, 10 months, he's pretty thin... you can feel his breastbone pretty easily when you pick him up despite the fact that I see him eating well regularly.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. For the past couple of months he's been walking in a strange way... lifting his legs up really high and it seems like he has very poor coordination. He often gets his feet in the water bowl or up in the chicken wire around their coop. Today I went outside to close up the coop and found him standing alone in the pouring rain. He just stood there as I walked over and picked him up. He didn't even try to walk away. Now that I have him inside and dried off, it seems that he is missing lots of his downy feathers under his wings and under his hackles. I can't see signs of any bugs... but what else would be doing this to him?
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? His leg movement has been getting progressively worse for the past 3 months or so. The feather loss is recent.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No, I have 10 other Wyandottes living with him and they are all happy and healthy.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Not that I know of.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Yes, he eats and drinks happily. When I feed them a treat of scratch in the morning he throws himself into the mix, just with his crazy gait.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Poop looks normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? He's had some warm scrambled egg to help warm him up after I brought him in from the rain. He gobbled it right down. Now he just has water and regular pellets which he's been eating happily.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? I need to take care of him myself. If I'm not able to, I'll have to cull him.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. See below
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use The have a coop inside our barn (lots of ventilation) I use the deep litter method with pine shavings. I'm thinking this must be mites, but I can find any sign of them on this bird and there are no symptoms at all in any of the other birds.
1) What type of bird , age and weight: Buff Wyandotte, 10 months, he's pretty thin... you can feel his breastbone pretty easily when you pick him up despite the fact that I see him eating well regularly.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. For the past couple of months he's been walking in a strange way... lifting his legs up really high and it seems like he has very poor coordination. He often gets his feet in the water bowl or up in the chicken wire around their coop. Today I went outside to close up the coop and found him standing alone in the pouring rain. He just stood there as I walked over and picked him up. He didn't even try to walk away. Now that I have him inside and dried off, it seems that he is missing lots of his downy feathers under his wings and under his hackles. I can't see signs of any bugs... but what else would be doing this to him?
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? His leg movement has been getting progressively worse for the past 3 months or so. The feather loss is recent.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No, I have 10 other Wyandottes living with him and they are all happy and healthy.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Not that I know of.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Yes, he eats and drinks happily. When I feed them a treat of scratch in the morning he throws himself into the mix, just with his crazy gait.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Poop looks normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? He's had some warm scrambled egg to help warm him up after I brought him in from the rain. He gobbled it right down. Now he just has water and regular pellets which he's been eating happily.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? I need to take care of him myself. If I'm not able to, I'll have to cull him.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. See below
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use The have a coop inside our barn (lots of ventilation) I use the deep litter method with pine shavings. I'm thinking this must be mites, but I can find any sign of them on this bird and there are no symptoms at all in any of the other birds.
