Rooster Hanging head down

[5150Dave]

He needs some TLC. He has severe frostbite on comb and wattles. He's is in significant pain. Give him a chewable aspirin whole right in his beak twice a day for pain. Do not touch the frost bitten tissue or more harm will be done.

He's also likely suffering from hypothermia. He needs warm sugar water to drink for the next 24 to 48 hours. One teaspoon sugar in a cup of warm water. If you have a dryer, warm a towel and wrap him in it. Sit and hold him while he warms. Run the towel through the dryer one more time and wrap him again. Total warming 30-45 minutes.

Is there another rooster that could have chased him out of the coop into the cold night? That cannot be permitted to happen again.

There's no other rooster. It's 60° in the coup; isn't that warm enough? I'm going to try the sugar-water mixture. Thank you.

 

[azygous]

The coop is plenty warm enough for a chicken with a normal body temperature. If you have a rectal thermometer, take his temp. It should be around 106F. If it's 100 or lower, he has hypothermia, and needs direct warming as I instructed. He won't get warmed back up in a 60 degree coop.

 

[5150Dave]

The coop is plenty warm enough for a chicken with a normal body temperature. If you have a rectal thermometer, take his temp. It should be around 106F. If it's 100 or lower, he has hypothermia, and needs direct warming as I instructed. He won't get warmed back up in a 60 degree coop.

Thank you. You learn something new every day. Thank you so much for the feedback.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that he has frostbite on his comb and wattles, and that it will be painful for him for a few days. Do not rub or massage the frostbitten skin. Do not apply any creams or ointments to it. The aspirin may make him more comfortable. He should be fine eventually, and his comb and wattles will appear more rounded off when it completely heals.

 

[5150Dave]

I'm wondering if this could be it. Yesterday he would sporadically jump and go back to hanging his head. Then about 5 minutes later repeat the process. Today, he's not doing any of that. I gave him 1 cc of Poultry Nutri-Drench about an hour ago. I mixed up some sugar water. I guess I'll go give him some of that.

Coccidia
Coccidia are a subclass of microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled obligate intracellular parasites belonging to the apicomplexan class Conoidasida. As obligate intracellular parasites, they must live and reproduce within an animal cell. Coccidian parasites infect the intestinal tracts of animals, and are the largest group of apicomplexan protozoa. Infection with these parasites is known as coccidiosis. Coccidia can infect all mammals, some birds, some fish, some reptiles, and some amphibians. Most species of coccidia are species-specific in their host. An exception is Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect all mammals, although it can only undergo sexual reproduction in cats. Depending on the species of coccidia, infection can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and "nervous system effects and changes to behavior", and may lead to death.Wikipedia

 

[Eggcessive]

He may just be feeling so bad and lethargic due to his frostbite.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

His gullet is as tight as can be

I agree, he has frostbite, but what does "his gullet is as tight as can be" mean??

 

[5150Dave]

I agree, he has frostbite, but what does "his gullet is as tight as can be" mean??

The area where they store food inside their throat. It can also produce bad bacteria if not digesting correctly.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The area where they store food inside their throat. It can also produce bad bacteria if not digesting correctly.

So you mean his crop?
Is it emptying overnight? If it's not, then you need to try to address that.

Could he have eaten anything toxic, rotten, moldy, etc.?

 

[5150Dave]

So you mean his crop?
Is it emptying overnight? If it's not, then you need to try to address that.

Could he have eaten anything toxic, rotten, moldy, etc.?

I suppose. But no, he hasn't been around anything toxic or dangerous. I have probiotics that I'm adding to all of the chickens tomorrow.