Rooster can’t balance or walk, sudden onest

[CoolClucker]

Oh no...so it’s my fault. My girls don’t lay anymore, should I change their food too? He’s not eating at all so probably too late at this point to change his food.

 

[CoolClucker]

Layer feed has 4 times the calcium that roosters need. Too much calcium can affect the kidneys causing kidney disease and gout. There are 2 types of gout, one that causes deformity and calcium deposits in the feet and legs, and the other causes calcium deposits elswhere in the body in organs, and kidney disease.

I have fed layer feed at times to my roosters without a problem, but have also switched to a flock raiser feed at times. My 6 year old rooster suffered with sore legs the last year of his life.

So it would be hard to know if the higher calcium feed has caused a problem, but I would probably switch to a flock raiser feed and put crushed oyster shell out for the hens in a separate container for them to eat when needed.

If you feel that your rooster is suffering, you might want to consider putting him down. Then a necropsy could be performed so that you would know what was wrong. Most state poultry vets will perform a necropsy. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

It makes sense. He’s had a bad leg for months, nearly a year. He’s walked with a gimp and his toes on his bad leg are a bit deformed. I just thought he was different. It must’ve been gout. I googled kidney failure in chickens, and leg paralysis and weakness is a symptom! If he does have kidney failure, how long does he have left?

 

[Eggcessive]

Please don’t feel like you have done anything to him, so I hope that you don’t feel like that. Most of us feed our roosters the same feed as our hens. I was just saying that gout might be one possibility. Are you able to take any pictures of his feet? He is definitely ill with something, and I don’t know how long he will last. I’m not sure that he will get better, but your local vet might be able to give him meloxicam to help with pain. Aspirin could be used instead 81 mg low dose one tablet once or twice a day.

 

[CoolClucker]

Thought I’d post an update on my rooster. I’ve been giving him nutridrench every day and water by hand. He was really bad, I thought for sure he’d die, but somehow he’s still hanging in there. The other day all he could do was lie on his side and hold his neck and head up. Then he started sitting up in a chicken loaf position. Somehow the next day he manages to make it outside the coop but couldn’t get back in. So I scooped him up and took him in for the night. Yesterday he was out of the coop again, and I tried getting him to eat. He pecked a couple times but not much. Today, I gave him his nutridrench, and tried again to offer him food. He is positively ravenous! As much as I’d give him he’d eat. It’s unbelievable. And he can stand a little. His balance is still way off, he topples forward and sideways, but he can stand a little and do a half stand, crouch maneuver. It’s weird because he was in the corner, the food just a few inches away, but wasn’t eating. Until I offered it to him in my hand. Then it’s like he figured it out. He tried to eat then toppled forward a few times and quit. So I helped him get closer and helped him balance and he finally figured it out. By the time I went in, he was still eating. I don’t have any clue what this is, maybe ear infection? But I’m happy because I feel like he’s starting to get slowly better. He is one tough roo.

 

[CoolClucker]

Also if he does make it, I’m switching their food out to standard flock food. The girls lay about 3 eggs a year now anyway. I wonder if this whole experience will make him like me? He’s always been a mean old rooster to me lol. He’s never hurt me but he’ll kick at me and puff up at me, etc. I always described him as my ahole rooster. But, even an ahole rooster deserves care when he’s sick.

 

[Eggcessive]

Well, that is really good news that he is feeling better, eating, and getting out of the coop. Has he been pooping better? I am glad that maybe the vitamins and electrolytes have kicked in a bit. Hopefully, he will get his strength back for awhile longer. My rooster who died this year never liked me or wanted to be handled, and I never tried to bother him. But it was sad for his legs to start giving him problems at 6 years old.

I would try the Purina Flock Raiser or another brand of all flock feed. It has a bit more protein, and mine now prefer it. I only have a few that still lay, at least before they molted, and their eggs shells stay pretty strong without the layer feed, having the crushed oyster shell in a container for them. Mine like the crushed egg shells for calcium that I throw around as well.

 

[CoolClucker]

Sorry about your roo. I appreciate the advice. At this point I’m still cautious but optimistic.

 

[helicopterchickenmom]

Our elder hen has had a bad leg off and on for the past year. I gave her some diluted tart cherry juice, the kind we drink everyday, for a couple of weeks. She loved it. She's our fruit lover girl. Seemed to help, or it healed on its own. When she started limping several months later, I did it all over and it cleared up again. Makes me wonder if its arthritis or she sprained her leg jumping down from the ladder. Vitamins in their water also seems to help with some issues. I'm brand new to BYC and relatively new to chicken care. I'm not speaking from years of experience. Just sharing what I've observed. So much to learn about these wonderful creatures. If you're concerned about him not eating enough you might try watering down crumbles to what I call "mush". Our girls devour it like it's a treat even though it's simply the food they eat every day softened with water.