rooster droopy w/greenish diarrhea -- UPDATE: looking better

[threehorses]

I wouldn't so quickly diagnose it as Fowl Cholera just yet. The symptoms given are present in just SO many diseases and conditions, Sulmet helps a number of conditions.

Pat, if you do decide to give the Sulmet a shot, please be sure to give probiotics. In fact, that's what I'd do to start anyway although I think with the darkening comb it's something a little more.

Any updates?

 

[sammi]

I agree "three"..
doesn't sound like Cholera to me, yet.

 

[patandchickens]

Boy, I sure wish I was in the same time zone as you folks

This morning he is a little bit better. He was standing in the isolation pen when I went out there, and walked around a little, albeit slowly and carefully. (When I did my last chores and went to leave, though, he slunk back underneath the little roost ladder in there and hunkered back down into the bedding.)

His droppings have firmed up to more normal consistancy although they are still dark greenish; his comb is less darkened at the points, tho still (I am pretty sure now) cooler than normal.His tail is horizontal or a little perkier, which is an improvement over yesterday; still not crowing though.

His crop is still empty or mostly empty (I am not sure how 'empty' totally-empty is supposed to feel -- I think I can feel his crop in there but only barely). I just don't know how to really know whether he's eating, I have two small children and just cannot camp out there with the chickens to watch, and unless I were to put him in a cage with no bedding I have no way to tell the difference between 'eaten' and 'spilled'

Same with water. Aaaugh.

So: he's been wormed with ivermectin (so I'm not sure how much point there'd be in having a fecal done at this point?), has live-culture yogurt available (I dabbed a little in his beak, too, the coupla times I was out there yesterday pm) and vitamins/electrolytes in water, and I'm keeping his bottom cleaned, dried and vaselined...

Is there anything else you would suggest doing? The sulmet that's been mentioned, would you actively *suggest* that, sammi and threehorses and Diana, or not, or what?

His hens (who are weirded out by him not being there, even tho he's just across the aisle and they can *see* him) seem ok, for whatever that's worth. Although now I'm all paranoid... "those two who've been camping out in the nestboxes lately, are they really just contemplating broodiness or is there something wrong..." -- but I sure don't SEE anything wrong with anyone (combs, crops, poo, posture, egglaying all seem totally normal).

Thanks again for all the help,

Pat

 

[threehorses]

That's wonderful that his droppings have solidified. The dark green you're seeing is bile because he hasn't really anything much in his stomach. I wouldn't worry about the meds quite yet at this moment, but more about getting him to eat. If you happen to have any brewer's yeast, I'd give him a little. Otherwise, try to tempt him to eat some more using boiled egg yolks. The protein will help healing, and has a nice source of some B vitamins to increase energy and appetite. Try doing things to his food - like wetting some, messing about with it, etc.

At this point, I'd consider putting your gentlest hen in with him to help him beless depressed and maybe, by her eating, encourage him to do so.

But a little improvement is definitely a positive thing. I'm curious if he's going to change (better or worse) today or show any more definite signs of anything?

 

[patandchickens]

I've had to dust him with rotenone for mites, I have a few that I never seem to be able to 100% get rid of but they aren't usually a problem for the chickens, however I guess b/c he's ill and not dustbathing, they've really exploded on him, and I had to do *something*.

I'd say he's about the same overall. Droopier again, comb still cool, and he's had a number of very wet diarrhea poos during the day (in addition to one or two additional solid, normalish ones)... but OTOH his appetite is *much* better than yesterday, he polished off the yogurt I'd left for him and some of the crumbles, and really *went after* the cooked egg yolk I gave him this evening.

So, I guess it's just wait and see.


Pat

 

[threehorses]

Did you just have to dust him? Mites can definitely take a bird down to this point, make them anemic.

 

[patandchickens]

I really think the mites are secondary consequence, not the cause of his problems... none of the hens has more than one or two mites that I could find at ALL, after looking hard all over and blowing the feathers apart and all (as of this afternoon); and I didn't notice any on Pants when I did a routine 'look up their butts' check on the roost early this week (I forget exactly which day, but mites are one of the things I look for when I'm doing that). Of course it wasn't a super intensive mite search then, at the beginning of the week, but, I really think I would have seen them if there were any significant number.

Dunno, but getting rid of them should surely help,

Pat

 

[threehorses]

Oh well good.

I really do wish we just Knew what was causing this.

 

[patandchickens]

The past couple days he's been still droopy and with variable-consistency greenish droppings, but today I would definitely say he is looking a lot BETTER.

He has crowed a couple times, holding his tail up better, walking around a bit, and there are *brown* poos in his pen. Points of the comb still coolish but the main blade of comb is more appropriately warm now.

I really really wish I knew what his problem was, but if it is going away then I'll take it no questions asked.

I am going to give him one more day by himself to try to get up further energy; then rotenone the bejeebers out of the hens and their pen and furnishings (although I still really have a hard time believing he had much of any mites that I missed last time I looked at them -- but, who knows), and put him back in tomorrow or Tuesday. I hope he will be ok - we are leaving town next weekend for 10 days and I hate to leave my animal-sitter with a problem. When we get back afterwards, I guess I will ivermectin the hens just in *case* it was worms (although I have no particular reason to think so, other than 'chicken was droopy and diarrhea-y')

I suppose his story is too generic to really have any good theories about what the actual problem is/was?

Thanks so much for all your help, hopefully he will continue to get better and stay that way!

Pat