.This morning I let our rooster out as usual and noticed no problems. This evening when I got home from work and went to see them he was in the house and wouldn't come out.
Eventually my husband managed to get him out but he was very lethargic and his comb and wattles have turned very black looking. Not spots like the avian flu pictures I have seen, just literally changed colour.
Can anybody shed any light on this? Am I going to loose him?
gustishmaggi: Your situation was in 2009, but others may have similar concerns today, so: 1. These symptoms can be quite serious. Are wild birds able to get in your chicken yard? 2. Are you feeding any chicken meat (or cat food containing chicken) to your birds? Do you have a wild bird feeder near your chickens? 3. Is the respiration rate increased or is there any coughing or sneezing? 4. Are the feathers on the belly and beneath the tail feathers wet with diarrhea? Regardless of the cause I would suggest isolating the sick bird to a warm and dry area. Make sure it is eating and drinking. Feel the chest and back to see if it has lost a lot of weight. Purchase a bag of medicated mash for starter chicks. Medical tests can be very expensive and it may be difficult to find someone to do the work. Most sick birds are sacrificed and cut open, and tissue samples are sent to a lab. Wash you hands after handling this bird. Talk with your vet or extension service or call someone at your local state college agriculture department. Under no circumstances, never take a sick bird to a local chicken farmer's property.
I have a bantam going thru this right now. She had an egg coming out backwards so I helped her get it out and then she wouldn't stand up or do anything just lazy and one leg is like if she had nerve damage or something it shakes like Parkinson's patients do. Any help would be great.
