Rooster behavior quirk or illness - please advise

[chooks4life]

I've never seen this 'wattle shaking' people describe but flocks, breeds, family lines, etc all vary to sometimes massive degrees between one owner and the next, and one state and the next, and one country and the next...

But, as I suggested before, I would view it as an illness or issue before I viewed it as harmless. Guilty until proven innocent.

Best wishes.

 

[rojororeo]

rojororeo- I would suspect your Polish rooster took a peck to the head. You already know the hens were pecking his feathers out there and under that crest is a vaulted skull.

Sylvester- great point! I didn't even think of that earlier, but chickens do get ear mites and the main symptom is head shaking. Crested breeds also get them in their crest which will cause them to shake and scratch.

And, I know this isn't funny because my poor rooster obviously has a problem, but I looked out the window into the chicken run and my Silkie rooster was banging his head like a rock star. He's got a big crest, so he had the "80s hair" to compliment it. It made me giggle

Poor guy!

You think so? I never even suspected that. He hadn't had any extra bad damage/pecks at the time he shook. And he quit nearly immediately as soon as I put Vaseline on his wattles. Nor does he do it when the weather is warmer. And it was also after he got a drink. I had done a google search on it, suspecting it to be the cold water, and got a good bit of info on it.
They have been plucking his feathers since the day i got him, still are now, and he doesn't do the head shaking aside from when he gets overly wetted cold wattles. Can't wait until it is warmer so I can separate him for a few weeks to get some good growth on his poor head!

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: I would suspect they view his feathers as either food or a deformity ---- or both. You ever heard the cull song? Probably not because it's in my head. Goes like this... When someone says:

>"My hen's killing her chicks!"
the chorus goes:
"Cull-CULL-cull-CULL-cull!"

>"My rooster's attacking my children!"
"Cull CULL cull CULL cull!"

>"My chickens are cannibalizing eachother!"
"Cull CULL cull CULL cull!"

And so forth...

Ok, sorry, it's 4am over here and I've been having trouble sleeping. lol. Going to bed now.

 

[rojororeo]

I would suspect they view his feathers as either food or a deformity ---- or both. You ever heard the cull song? Probably not because it's in my head. Goes like this... When someone says:

>"My hen's killing her chicks!"
the chorus goes:
"Cull-CULL-cull-CULL-cull!"

>"My rooster's attacking my children!"
"Cull CULL cull CULL cull!"

>"My chickens are cannibalizing eachother!"
"Cull CULL cull CULL cull!"

And so forth...

Ok, sorry, it's 4am over here and I've been having trouble sleeping. lol. Going to bed now.

Haha~ yeah, I think you were trying to help me figure out how to stop the plucking months ago.... nothing has worked! I got over an inch of great growth by being diligent, checking him 2 times per day to lotion or spray his head, and then voila I go look a couple hours after the morning check and he is bald!
As for culling.... I would have to cull all the hens, Since I have caught all of them doing it. I hope that real feather exposed and not quills, will stop it...
Hopefully you got some sleep now. )

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

rojororeo- sorry, I would quote, but my phone doesn't want to cooperate. Yes, I do think so. There doesn't need to be any visible damage, just a well aimed beak. They can even injure themselves (ex- jumping into the wall when startled, hitting head).

My Silkie too doesn't shake as bad when the weather is nice, which makes me think it gets worse when he's stressed. That arctic blast we just got over did a number on him, the poor fellow seriously looked like he was going to sling his head off. He got better over the warmer days that followed. Then was cold again today, so he was back to head banging at his own private rock concert.

When he gets like that, I really wonder what his quality of life is like. He really looks like he's suffering, I've considered putting him down several times. Then he bounces back and I can't do it. Poor little dude breaks my heart.

Good luck with your guy.

 

[rojororeo]

rojororeo- sorry, I would quote, but my phone doesn't want to cooperate. Yes, I do think so. There doesn't need to be any visible damage, just a well aimed beak. They can even injure themselves (ex- jumping into the wall when startled, hitting head).

My Silkie too doesn't shake as bad when the weather is nice, which makes me think it gets worse when he's stressed. That arctic blast we just got over did a number on him, the poor fellow seriously looked like he was going to sling his head off. He got better over the warmer days that followed. Then was cold again today, so he was back to head banging at his own private rock concert.

When he gets like that, I really wonder what his quality of life is like. He really looks like he's suffering, I've considered putting him down several times. Then he bounces back and I can't do it. Poor little dude breaks my heart.

Good luck with your guy.

Who knows! Your guy definitely sounds like he has some issues... I think I will stick with my estimation of my rooster's issue for the time being, but definitely will keep your guys' thoughts in the back of my mind for possible future issues.
I too didn't realize how much little chickens can make you worry and pull at heart strings, even though I do plan to eat them when they stop laying... They will still have excellent lives and be well loved until that day!
Hope your guy does okay!

 

[kathytales]

My Blue Cochin rooster wags his head at me when I come into the pen. I think it's a greeting or an expectation of food. It may also be a statement of manliness.

 

[rojororeo]

My Blue Cochin rooster wags his head at me when I come into the pen. I think it's a greeting or an expectation of food. It may also be a statement of manliness.

Hehe, That sounds cute! I go for manliness!

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Yeah, that was me trying to help when your little boy was being plucked months ago. Shame it hasn't worked out better.

I personally would either separate or cull all the hens, rehome him, or separate him with a girl or two who won't hurt him. Silkies perhaps, who can't see his hairdo for their own? Or Polish hens? Being the type he is, he will probably always be attacked by more normal chickens, Polish type chooks seem to get it badly. Even non-Polish chooks I bred who randomly got that type of hairdo got a less than kind treatment from the others. While mine didn't bully, they certainly didn't include those chooks. It is a defect it seems, at least in most bird's eyes.

Lol, thanks, I did get some sleep, but that won't stop me mentally singing the chorus of the cull song to myself whenever I see someone saying certain things... Habit.

I'd watch my birds every time I was in the yard or cages with them and from infancy onwards, birds were either buying their way onto the cull or keep list with their behavior. I originally tried mercy and retraining and so forth but culling was by far the best, most effective way to deal with most issues. I sound too merciless to some but chances are you'll end up a bit like this after a while...

Quote: If he's panting, paler, or appears temporarily withdrawn after the 'episodes', you can assume he is suffering. If he never shows even a moment's serious thought about it, if you know what I mean, it may be a harmless if somewhat distressing or inconvenient spasming fit. Some semi-epileptic episodes or spasms do not hurt or cause stress but some do. Thinking of myotonic goats right now, but some of those are most definitely distressed, no matter what breed enthusiasts claim.

I would experiment with his diet. What's it about the cold that makes him shake more? There are various things you can add to help him.

Black pepper is one thing that used to be used to stop epileptic fits in ducks, and MS sufferers of the human sort use it to stop muscle spasms. Since my chooks loved it so much I always gave them some every week, just shook the grinder over their food tub as I made up the mix. There are various herbs and foods proven to assist against spasms. If you're keeping a spasming animal, he may breed, and if it breeds on you may be able to eliminate it or at least ameliorate the effects or severity of it.

Quote: That reminds me. You know what I think of when I hear someone has an animal that is confused about what species it is? The chorus goes like.... Haha, I'm only joking, I know you're only using it figuratively.

Best wishes to all.

 

[rojororeo]

Yeah, that was me trying to help when your little boy was being plucked months ago. Shame it hasn't worked out better.

I personally would either separate or cull all the hens, rehome him, or separate him with a girl or two who won't hurt him. Silkies perhaps, who can't see his hairdo for their own? Or Polish hens? Being the type he is, he will probably always be attacked by more normal chickens, Polish type chooks seem to get it badly. Even non-Polish chooks I bred who randomly got that type of hairdo got a less than kind treatment from the others. While mine didn't bully, they certainly didn't include those chooks. It is a defect it seems, at least in most bird's eyes.

Lol, thanks, I did get some sleep, but that won't stop me mentally singing the chorus of the cull song to myself whenever I see someone saying certain things... Habit.

I'd watch my birds every time I was in the yard or cages with them and from infancy onwards, birds were either buying their way onto the cull or keep list with their behavior. I originally tried mercy and retraining and so forth but culling was by far the best, most effective way to deal with most issues. I sound too merciless to some but chances are you'll end up a bit like this after a while...

Yes, I agree that culling definitely has its place... unfortunately I don't think we will be doing it for this issue any time soon. Especially since the hens had more place than the rooster initially, lol. I am thinking in the spring I will take him and the other Polish hen I expect to have by then and separate them into the horse stall with a couple of other hens for a few weeks, until I can their feathers really grown in. My hope is that by taking 4 or 5 birds for a while, then when they all go back after growth is hopefully had, there will be too many coming back in so as to hopefully prevent bullying on the separated birds.