Rooster can't walk or crow properly

[Chickenunsernam]

I have a 9 year old half leghorn rooster. He's my senior rooster, the oldest and most responsible with all my hens.

Unfortunately he recently developed what i think is bumble foot and its really bad so I've been doing this salt scrub I saw in an article. But it hasnt gotten better. In fact its worse now because he cant walk at all, I had to take him down from the tree (they all climb up this tree to sleep) having him inches off the ground. He rolled over before getting his footing back.

This seriously worried me and he's used to running around chasing the younger roosters because they always chase the hens. I had to confine my senior rooster (I cant have him free ranging like this) but I confined him with all his hens in this big space so he wouldnt be stressed at having them chased around.

Still I really think he must have sprained his leg or something because its from one day to the next that he lost his footing, hopping and topplling over when he tries eating or flapping his wings.
I looked up chicken slings but I simply cant put him something like that! He loves being around his hens.

Also, I just heard him crow and his voice is almost gone! He cant crow well anymore and I dint see any signs of a respiratory infection or anything in his throat or mouth. I have no idea what that is about.

Is it his age? He is pretty old....

Any suggestions and advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Maybe confine him in a dog crate in the same run as his girls since he can’t stand to be away from them. I hope he gets better.

 

[azygous]

At age nine, it's not unexpected a chicken will show signs of decline, and it may simply be coincidental to the bumblefoot.

It could also be that he got into something toxic and has suffered brain damage which affects his vocal chords and motor function.

When one of our chickens reaches a point where there are so many issues affecting them that it's difficult to know where to start addressing them, and their life has become a struggle, we need to consider humanely ending their life.

 

[sbhkma]

At age nine, it's not unexpected a chicken will show signs of decline, and it may simply be coincidental to the bumblefoot.

It could also be that he got into something toxic and has suffered brain damage which affects his vocal chords and motor function.

When one of our chickens reaches a point where there are so many issues affecting them that it's difficult to know where to start addressing them, and their life has become a struggle, we need to consider humanely ending their life.

azygous is right. It's not easy, but it's part of responsible animal care.

 

[Chickenunsernam]

It could also be that he got into something toxic and has suffered brain damage which affects his vocal chords and motor function..

Thanks for replying, what do you mean when you say he might have gotten into something toxic?

 

[micstrachan]

A toxin could be insecticide, a poisonous plant, chemical, etc.
If you are not ready to put your rooster down, I think the bumble foot probably has to be addressed. Can you post a picture of the bottom of his foot? Can you post a video of his movements? Poor guy. He may benefit from some supportive care like vitamins and electrolytes in his water, supplemental heat if he is unable to snuggle with his flock and it's cold there, and extra protein like egg or tuna.
I have heard bumble foot can go systemic if caught late, so I am wondering if an antibiotic might help, as well.

 

[azygous]

Chickens scratching around in the soil can encounter all sorts of toxic things.

Leaky machinery can contaminate soil and grit that they pick up and consume for digestion. Insecticide sprayed over summer may not have broken down completely and may have been reconstituted by rain or snow, and chickens drink from contaminated puddles.

If you have a compost pile, anaerobic bacteria can create toxins. Mushrooms and toadstools can be toxic. Chicken feed that has become damp can grow molds that are toxic. Old paint flaking off siding onto the soil can be consumed along with grit and can be toxic.

Those are some of the most common ones. My chickens have managed to find some of the ones I just listed. I've certainly learned about toxins the hard way, unfortunately.

 

[Chickenunsernam]

I need to be more careful with all my hens then. Sometimes I catch them drinking from dirty puddles and it really worries me because that water might have soap or just look too mucky to drink. Especially since its rainy right now.

this is how his bumble foot looks. It hasnt been getting better and I noticed that when he walks he sort of twists one of his feet inwards so my mother suggested I splint it.
So I did this:

and it looks like its sort of helping him keep standing when he needs to- like when he flaps his wings. He used to drop his wing to keep balance but now he doesnt. I'm feeding him the extra potein and his appetite is great so far.


Any thoughts on this anyone? Could the splint really be a good idea? He still sort of twists his foot inward though he has more balance- any ideas how I can fix this?

 

[azygous]

How long have you been trying to treat that bumblefoot? It looks very consuming. There's a chance, if it's been there for a long time, that the staph infection has gone up into his leg bone. When was the last time you attempted to treat it, and what did that involve?

Also, have you considered trimming those spurs? Long, curved spurs can get hung up on things, such as a perch, and torque a leg, resulting in a break or sprain.

 

[Chickenunsernam]

How long have you been trying to treat that bumblefoot? It looks very consuming. There's a chance, if it's been there for a long time, that the staph infection has gone up into his leg bone. When was the last time you attempted to treat it, and what did that involve?

Also, have you considered trimming those spurs? Long, curved spurs can get hung up on things, such as a perch, and torque a leg, resulting in a break or sprain.

The last time I tried treating it was a few days ago and it involved soaking his feet in epsom salt and then brushing the scales with some soap. (I was pretty skeptical about it...) It was in an article I read but it was no good.

Actually, my mother was telling me about that and I did notice and sometimes he gets tangled in his own spurrs. I didnt know they could be trimmed (I'm new to having chickens)- I wonder if that might have also hurt his bone.