Rooster comb and wattles turning black, trouble breathing, lethargic

[CheekyMare]

Well it's not contagious, but I wonder if it could be diet related.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

http://www.lorikeets.com/gout.htm

Here is a link if anyone is interested.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Wow, thank you for the info, and so sorry for your loss. There is so much that can go wrong, it's unreal. I am taking care of a hen with a prolapsed oviduct, and thought the chicken was drinking - she had water in the carrier, but today, just on an off chance she was thirsty while I cleaned her up, I sprayed a little water on her beak. She drank like she was dying of thirst. I took out the water dish and sprayed water into it. She acted like she had never seen it before and drank steadily for five minutes, it seems. How did she not know there was water in the dish??? I guess I am relaying this because she could have died from lack of water, and I would never have known that was the problem.

 

[memawdarla]

OMG! I think we killed Brewster. I have done some reading on Visceral Gout. We shouldn't have been feeding him layer feed, but with them all together what else was he going to eat? Going to feed store tomorrow and get different feed. Don't want this to happen to our Black Copper Maran rooster who is in another pen with 6 hens. Who knew that chickens were this complicated. We just wanted fresh eggs and to maybe get to a point where we could sell eggs and raise some chickens to put in the freezer (not the named ones of course)! I feel terrible! My poor Brewster. Over the last several months i have read a lot of stuff on chickens but never read anything about NOT feeding laying feed to roosters.

 

[Frithest]

It sounds like it would have been hard for you to know about this. I took a "City Chickens" class and, probably because we're not allowed to have roos in the city, they never talked about how to feed different sexes (or sizes? or ages?) of birds together. They're simple critters but there's so much to learn, like you said.
I hope you feel ok soon about this.

 

[leadwolf1]

You can't feed roosters layer feed??????

Does anyone know anymore about this? All my older birds are on layer, roosters included. Should I switch to flock raiser and provide oyster shell?????

 

[oldorchardfarms]

we had one of ours do this the other day and he was one of our favorites, this is what are vet said he had.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/6/ascites

 

[memawdarla]

I just get more confused the more i read. some say this, some say that. maybe too much protein in laying feed for rooster. our feed has 16 percent crude protein. but we have just opened a 50 lb bag so now what? also, we have some hens that are under 6 months so what do i give them and how do i keep feed separate? i think that is impossible since they all live together. i don't know what to do! i just wanted fresh eggs and maybe some babies later on. now i don't even know if i want chickens at all. so frustrated and confused!
like leadwolf1, should i go to flock raiser, finisher/grower, or what? and give oyster shell on the side?

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Quote:
I use Nutrena Nature Wise 18% All Flock with ground egg shells or oyster shells on the side. I have a flock of 26 laying hens a rooster and two 7wk old chicks in the main coop. Eight 14 wk chicks in the brooder pen. They all get the same feed and it works out best for me. Chicks under 7 wks still get Dumor 20% chick starter, Have 5 chicks in the indoor brooder and 23 in the bator.

 

[leadwolf1]

Quote:
This is what I don't understand, flock raiser has more protein, not less. I have also noticed my roosters, on occassion, grabbing some oyster shell....

I am hesitant to change food since this causes stress to the birds and going into Winter, that can't be good for them....