Rooster is ill, laying head on ground.

[LeanneP]

My 10 month old Cochin roo had his eye closed yesterday evening during their free range time. This morning, he was standing in the back of the coop with his head on the ground. We've brought him inside to warm him up and he just wants to sleep.

He will drink if I dip his beak in the water, but he's really not very interested in it and has not eaten.

We've had a couple of pretty cold nights these past few. I don't know that that has anything to do with anything.

I found a vet that can see him, but he's on another call right now and we're waiting to hear from him to tell us to bring him in.

If anyone is around, I don't even know what kind of symptoms I'm looking for for anything, so if you have some idea of what I should be looking for, please chime in.

 

[Eggcessive]

With his drooping neck he could possibly have wry neck which can be a symptom of Mareks disease, an injury to his head or neck, or a vitamin deficiency. Some respiratory diseases can cause wry neck in later stages, and botulism may cause a paralyzed neck, but generally the legs and wings become paralyzed beforehand. Vitamin E, thiamine (vitamin B1,) and the mineral selenium are usually given as treatment, as well as reducing stress, helping with feeding and watering to get enough nourishment, and separation from others.

A severe form of wry neck (torticolis) in Newcastles disease.

 

[LeanneP]

It's more like he's exhausted. He isn't curling his neck as in that picture, but laying his head down.

Hubby got home with the LA-200 and got him to eat (hubby is the treat dispenser to the flock).

He just stood up awhile, ate and drank and now is resting again.

His eyes are intermittently kept closed, one or the other even when he was up and alert.

He's sleeping again now.

He feces is mostly normal consistency but green like the color of grass with the white blob typically there.

 

[LeanneP]

If it matters, we got him as a day old from MM and he was vaccinated for both Cocci and Marek's as well as the rest of the flock. No one else seems to have any issues at all. (They are all one group. I also have some chicks that are younger, but they are not out of the brooder yet and haven't been near the older chickens).

 

[LeanneP]

Just posting updates in case someone reads in the future.

The stool sample didn't show any parasites or worms, but the vet believes it is the onset of an infection which may be pneumonia.

He was given Baytril and Metronidazole to cover any bacterial infection.

Hopefully he will be up and "Whomping" again in a couple of days!

 

[theoldchick]

Good luck with him. I hope he does well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Those are pretty potent antibiotics, so they should help. I hope he recovers, and please let us know how he fairs.

 

[LeanneP]

Thanks!

They are potent, but the worry is that he's just at the beginning so we could just knock it out. None of the others seem to be having any issues so far, so hopefully keeping him inside and separate a few days to allow the antibiotics time to work will prevent having anything spread to the flock.

He was up bright and early this morning and though he went back to dozing off, he's wanting to do so while roosting. I've made him a makeshift bassinet out of a Rubbermaid type bin with tray and he is balancing himself on the edge sleeping. I'm thinking that is already an improvement as yesterday he was just falling asleep on his feet on the ground. The way he was leaning forward, I don't think he could have balanced on the roost.

Feeling very hopeful today.