Rooster lethargic and comb turning black

[shay20]

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Oh my sorry to hear that.

The only i have herd of the crowns turning dark in color is either frost bite or no or very bad air circulation going through the body.

Keep an eye on your girls, if you see any acting up keep her separated from other with your care. Just to boost the sick ones give a bit of sugar in the water.
I am sorry that i can not help. Good luck with your other hens.

 

[gustishmaggi]

Many thanks everyone for all the advice. Our rooster has picked up a little during the day today, he certainly has more energy now than last night.

On examination this morning I saw that he had an infestation of lice! We have scrubbed and disenfected the house and used a lice powder on all the birds this afternoon.

Hopefully it will be that which has caused him to be poorly. He has lost some feathers around his rear end but I am again assuming this is because of the lice?

Any more comments welcomed, and I will keep posted of progress.

 

[shay20]

Yea that will definitely bring them down, because lice bite and eat at the blood. they can get very sick because of it.
Good luck. Hope everything will be ok with your roo.

 

[threehorses]

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I'm so sorry to hear that your rooster and other chickens passed away. There's something particularly sad about losing an old king of the barn yard like that. It's like the passing of an era, and I really have no other words just hugs.

I guess I can add that hopefully we can usher you into a new era. I just really want to find out the cause of this and try to eliminate more losses - for both flocks.

I think I would go ahead and treat the flock regardless of whether or not others are ill in case they're fighting it. I'm going to think on this and come back in an hour or so.

In any case, I'm very grateful to be able to help others. There were times where I desperately needed help and there was none, and other times where people so kindly gave me more help than I needed. So I try to just help out the best I can. My reward is meeting great people, like you, who count the number of days their birds were alive. /hugs and a smile.

 

[threehorses]

Ok here's everything I've found on either darkening of the combs or blue coloration of the combs.

If it's a bacterial disease (and there's really no way of telling for sure at this point without testing, which I would highly consider in case of loss of any more birds - any more illnesses), the diseases all seem to be sensitive to terramycin, aureomycin, and penicillin. My choice above the others would be Aureomycin. Then Terramycin. Perhaps Penicillin injectable if you are capable of giving shots. (It's really quite easy and Penicillin G procaine is readily available). I'd do this immediately just based on symptoms.

If it's viral, there's no treatment.

We haven't ruled out excessive intake of salts. Given the current weather conditions, and the fact that this is not yet ruled out, if you're giving electrolytes I'd stop immediately. Instead I'd give a non-salt version like ACV until you medicate, at which time you cannot. Darkening of the comb is a symptom of salt poisoning. Also eliminate any water softening products or well issues that might cause this.

If you feed your birds anywhere in the vicinity of a salt lick, or if there are salt licks near a source of water, I'd fix that. Otherwise sometimes dehydration can cause it. But generally if non-viral and non-bacterial, salt poisoning is to be ruled out.

Based on this, I'd still say to do this:

Treat immediately - all birds sick or not (and mark the day because I rarely EVER say this) with Aureomycin or terramycin. Remove all electrolytes from water immediately. While medicating, start treatment with probiotics which should NOT include yogurt. With hold all sources of dairy until at least a day after treatment. Use acidophilus tablets/caps from the store, or a prepared livestock probiotic.

Feed all birds their standard food, decreasing grains in case of crop stasis d.t. antibiotics. Monitor food intake and water intake very carefully.

After the full antibiotic course, treat for two weeks every other day with the probiotics. If any other birds are lost, take to the vet for testing. One of the diseases not ruled out is AI. So this is something not to be messed with considering the rate of mortality already shown. That's exactly why I'm recommending antibiotics - to rule it out at home.



That's my recommendation.

 

[gustishmaggi]

Have started rooster on a course of antibiotics yesterday from the vets. They also gave him a vitamin injection.

Today I notice that he is having his beak open quite alot of the time. He is drinking excesively. He is eating some but not a great deal. He is still quite lethargic, not putting up much of a fight when I pick him up. I haven't heard him crow for a while, or call the hens over for food or any of the usual things he would do. His stance is tail hanging down and wings tending to be drooped down too. He has had a limp for some time prior to showing illness with no apparent reason. (Thought I would add that as it might be linked in some way, although I don't think so).

I have read some links on Marek's and am concerned that it may be what is wrong with him, although he must be about 2 years old now. I haven't noticed any difference in his eyes, only that he keeps shutting them like he's dozing when standing.

I am probably being just paranoid and expecting the worst!

 

[tiffanyh]

I would also keep in mind heart defects as these can cause bad circulation (blue comb) and fluid on the chest cavity surround the heart (heavy chest).

Sorry for your loss.

 

[threehorses]

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Did the vet take blood to test him, or do a culture for those antibiotics? Is he sure it's even bacterial? If you take the bird back, have him test or culture to find out what the deal is.

Did he send you home with probiotics, too? What medicine did he give you? If it's a cycline or mycin drug, you won't want to use any dairy products but the bird still *must* get probiotics while on treatment and thereafter as antibiotics are very hard on birds' systems and their essential gut bacteria. So if it's baytril, you can use yogurt daily and should til the meds are done - then every other day for two weeks. Baytril is particularly hard on their systems, but a very good drug. If it's a mycin or cycline drug, use acidophilus capsules from the grocery - or tablets, crushed.

I'm glad you took him to the vet - I just hope the vet did his job. /sigh

 

[gustishmaggi]

Thankyou threehorses. Yes it is Baytril, so I should give him some yoghurt daily too? How much?

He does appear to have picked up substantially this morning. Lets hope he stays that way.

 

[threehorses]

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Oh that's good that he's doing better!

As for how much, here's the rule of thumb I use.

For a serving of yogurt, I eat about 1 cup. I think about if I were their height, what size would the one cup be. Probably about a heaping tablespoon at most. So I'd feed him that much at most.

It's not an exact science, but you don't want to feed him - say - a cup of yogurt. Even if they would eat it.

There are bacteria in the yogurt who have mostly digested the lactose, but there's still enough lactose in it where they shouldn't have tons of it.

So do that daily during treatment, every other day for 2 weeks thereafter. He should be 'good to go'.

Cheers to his continued improvement.