Rooster Leg Injury plus leg mites.

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes those are soap bubbles he just got a scrubbing in warm soapy water and then towel dried. A few of his feathers are still a little damp. The fifth picture is of his other leg in the same area. I haven't seen any mites but they get dusted once a month, only thing is I didn't put anything on their legs, so maybe mites have been harboring in his scales, I don't know I have had chickens for years and have no idea what it is. I'm just hoping that whatever it is the vasoline, soaking , Ivermitin, and antibiotic will eventually do the trick. It looks bad enough to me that I'm surprised he can move it to stretch it. It seems to me that the black stuff is dead skin and because it is dry and scaley he finds it hard to move his leg, so maybe that is why he is constantly stretching his legs out? Not sure of any of it anymore.

This is the route I would take, you may want to use epsom salts for the soaking. Every time you soak, give the legs a gentle scrub with a soft nail or tooth brush. Hopefully that will start softening what looks like some dead tissue and slough it off.

I know we all do things a bit differently, but with the Ivermectin, if you have Pour On, it may be more effective if it's applied as you would normally do - to the back of the neck. I don't know how large he is, but general guidelines would be 1 drop for chicks or tiny chickens, 3 drops for bantams, 4 drops for lightweight birds, 5 drops for large birds and 6 drops for heavy weight birds. Repeat application in 14days.

The black tissue could very well be from Scaly Leg Mites or possibly injury - SLM can do a lot of damage - since this is on the upper portion of the legs, the feathers may have created a nice warm environment there for the tissue to become a little infected. I would be inclined to trim those feathers back and away from those areas - this way there is more air flow.

If you haven't done so, add some poultry vitamins to his water a couple of times a week and give extra protein (beef liver, egg, tuna, etc.) to give him a boost.

Just my thoughts.

 

[aart]

That is really odd....I'd guess some kind of growth or tumor?
Kinda don't think it's the mites.
Not sure what advice to give, but keep an eye on it, sorry.
Great pics.

when he stands on either foot he will stretch the other foot out behind him and then put it back down.

This sounds like a typical stretching of the legs.....indicates a fairly relaxed bird IME.

 

[casportpony]

To me it looks like he has some sort of infection in his joint. Can he walk?

 

[flyingroosterranch]

To me it looks like he has some sort of infection in his joint. Can he walk?

Yes, he can walk, and he can stand on both legs, but he can't jump up on anything. I even saw him mating one of the hens the other day, so I am hoping that whatever it is with constant soaking, vasoline and ivermectin. I will keep everyone updated if anything changes, I appreciate your help. Thank you!!

 

[flyingroosterranch]

This is the route I would take, you may want to use epsom salts for the soaking. Every time you soak, give the legs a gentle scrub with a soft nail or tooth brush. Hopefully that will start softening what looks like some dead tissue and slough it off.

I know we all do things a bit differently, but with the Ivermectin, if you have Pour On, it may be more effective if it's applied as you would normally do - to the back of the neck. I don't know how large he is, but general guidelines would be 1 drop for chicks or tiny chickens, 3 drops for bantams, 4 drops for lightweight birds, 5 drops for large birds and 6 drops for heavy weight birds. Repeat application in 14days.

The black tissue could very well be from Scaly Leg Mites or possibly injury - SLM can do a lot of damage - since this is on the upper portion of the legs, the feathers may have created a nice warm environment there for the tissue to become a little infected. I would be inclined to trim those feathers back and away from those areas - this way there is more air flow.

If you haven't done so, add some poultry vitamins to his water a couple of times a week and give extra protein (beef liver, egg, tuna, etc.) to give him a boost.

Just my thoughts.

Jake is a pretty spoiled rooster, all my chickens get lots of different food, they may have cooked oatmeal on a really cold day. They get beef and tuna leftovers any time we have them. Fresh vegetables, they are turned loose anytime I am home from work to get grass, bugs etc. They usually head for our woods as they like turning over the rotting logs looking for bugs.
We have had snow so they don't stay in the pasture very long, I can spot them mostly in the tree line.
Thank you for your advice I am trying the epsom salt bath as soon as the weather gets above 35 degrees, I don't want to give him a cold beside, my hubby draws the line at bringing them in the house.

 

[flyingroosterranch]

Aww, I'm sorry about your guy. Hope he's better soon

Thanks, it's hard when it's your favorite rooster.

 

[flyingroosterranch]

Better pics would help......got anyone that could help by taking some pics while you stretch the left leg out?

Left leg(his left leg, on right side of pic) looks freshly injured?
Is there a cut?

Right leg/foot looks swollen, middle toe always that crooked?
Any cuts on right foot on bottom or between toes?
Possible frostbite?

Scaly mites doesn't look too bad, how long have you been treating it?
How long did he have them before treating?
Might just look better due to recent treatments.
Sometimes the scales will never retract to 'normal',
can take long weeks for them to be replaced.

When I have a gimpy bird, if limp is really bothering them by inhibiting their normal activities too much, I will isolate them in a crate to 'force' rest for a day or two. Letting them out late in day, an hour before roost time, to give them a stretch and evaluate their mobility, then decide if they need another day and put them back in crate off roost after dark. Repeat stretch and eval the next day until they are better. Keep crate in coop so bird can remain 'with' the flock.

This is the crate I use, set up here for a broody, put right on bedding for limper.
Fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate

Your set up is very similiar to mine, I have the boxed area under my rooster and mine is filled with clay plain cat litter, works like a charm, sure a lot easier than scooping the whole coop out. Thanks for all your advice.

 

[flyingroosterranch]

Sad update, my rooster Jake had to be put down. I took him to an avian vet in our area, he had cancer, the sores were cancer growths that he had been burst, he had more up on his body near his bad legs, to confirm everyone's diagnosis he did have scaley leg mites as well, but that was not his main issue. The vet told us even with care everyday he would only live about 6 months. I elected to let him go with dignity as his death would have been painful. He was a wonderful rooster, best I've had in 25 years, so will be missed. I am now looking for another Welsummer rooster, purebreed from some local poultry person near my home of Hamilton, Missouri. If anyone know of someone who has one, I would appreciate the heads up. I am also looking for a pair of black silkies, would love to have the show girls ones if possible. I want to say thank you to everyone who answered my call for help on this site, this is the best site for anyone who is having a poultry problem.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sad update, my rooster Jake had to be put down. I took him to an avian vet in our area, he had cancer, the sores were cancer growths that he had been burst, he had more up on his body near his bad legs, to confirm everyone's diagnosis he did have scaley leg mites as well, but that was not his main issue. The vet told us even with care everyday he would only live about 6 months. I elected to let him go with dignity as his death would have been painful. He was a wonderful rooster, best I've had in 25 years, so will be missed. I am now looking for another Welsummer rooster, purebreed from some local poultry person near my home of Hamilton, Missouri. If anyone know of someone who has one, I would appreciate the heads up. I am also looking for a pair of black silkies, would love to have the show girls ones if possible. I want to say thank you to everyone who answered my call for help on this site, this is the best site for anyone who is having a poultry problem.

I'm so sorry you lost him

Thank you for updating the thread and letting us know what you found out from the vet.

As for finding another Welsummer and some Silkies, try asking on your state thread, someone may know of local breeders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/calling-any-one-from-missouri.73271/page-860

You can also post a "wanted" on the Buy/Sell/Trade threads https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/#buy-sell-trade.67

 

[aart]

Sad update, my rooster Jake had to be put down. I took him to an avian vet in our area, he had cancer, the sores were cancer growths that he had been burst, he had more up on his body near his bad legs, to confirm everyone's diagnosis he did have scaley leg mites as well, but that was not his main issue.

So sorry.
Thank you so much for following up with the diagnosis.
Best of Luck with your search for a new cockbird.
I had a Wellie cock, he was a great bird.