Rooster might have mites

[curliet]

Hi, I haven't posted for a while, but read and get good advice every day. Now I have a question about a rooster that I got from a guy at the feed store. Maybe someone can give me some advice again.
Ok, got this Buff Orpington rooster, about 1 yr old, about 3 weeks ago. The guy said he had too many roosters and this one was getting beat up very badly by the others. They were also keeping him from the food. He had no tail feathers at all, and was pretty scraggly looking. But you can tell what a beautiful bird he would really be. So, I didn't think things thru and put him right in with my hens, who were as glad to see him as he was to see them. We figured that with good feed and love and time, he would soon be beautiful again. But he's starting to look worse rather than better, raggedy, and I noticed yesterday that his legs and feet have started to look pink and reddish instead of white. I notice that my girls seem to groom him now and then, but they are gentle about it. No actual pecking, but some "picking" like they are cleaning him. I am thinking maybe mites, so I had some Insectrin powder, sprinkled him a little and sprinkled some in the bedding of the coop. I also use Dry Stall in the bedding, which has some of DE in it. I also found a tube of Bactine in my bag, and last night I turned him upside down and smeared some on his rear end. I was thinking that I might put more bactine on him today, and just a little more of the Insectrin. In our situation, we are here from Thursday thru Sunday, and away from Sunday thru Wed. so after this evening I won't be able to monitor him for a few days. I know this is not ideal, but can't be helped right now. Am I doing anything right?
Sorry for the long post.
edited to add photo, taken in the rain.

 

[curliet]

hhhmmmmm.

 

[Chicabee19]

so sorry you have not had a reply yet...

he looks bad. I'd isolate him asap.

Hopefully others will come and give the usual excellent advice - I'm still new and don't have my chickens yet!

good luck.

 

[Melilem]

Wow Ive never seen such a thing, was he red like that when you got him? Maybe he has a ..skin allergy to something? But I've never heard of a chicken with a skin allergy... I dont think it's mites, they wouldnt do that to his feet. Maybe the guy washed him with something really harsh before you got him. Don't know.. I'll bump it.

 

[curliet]

When we got him he was a little pink in the rear, and his legs and feet were white. The guy I got him from said that he had gotten 6 roosters in a shipment of chickens, plus he had this one and another older one. Buff seems to be really mellow, so they ganged up on him. He said that he was afraid the others would kill him if he couldn't rehome him. I was overjoyed to get him. The guy is a really nice guy, seems very knowledgeable about animals, works in the vet supply store and raises his own chickens. If he had been available this weekend I would have talked to him. Since the only source I had was that vet supply store, I did go there, and they recommended the Insectrin. I happened to have the Bactine in my bag. I did rebutter Buff's butt (sorry, I just had to do that, hope it didn't offend anyone) with Bactine and lightly dusted him again with the Insectrin before we left to come home this afternoon. I'm sure that I should be isolating him, but really haven't got anyplace to put him right now. He's in with my 17 laying hens, and they all look and act just fine. Things were supposed to have been different, but our economy (yes, the one that 2 of our major politicians keep saying is strong) really gave us a punch in the gut and the place we were building up north is just not going to happen yet. So, we're keeping the chickens by traveling back and forth from town to the country every couple of days, and staying in our camper when we are there. The chickens have a lovely, secure coop and run, with dusk to dawn lights on it, and when we go away we leave a 5 gallon feeder full of layer crumble, 2 5 gallon waterers, and throw in lots of treats, scratch, oyster shell for them. When we come back we let them out to free range, and they head back to their coop at about 7:30 p.m. Buff does a really good job of roostering, finds them delicious bugs, watches out for anything out of the ordinary that they should run from, or freeze like statues, and happily performs his other duties as well. But I am worried about him, hope that this is all a result of his injuries and he will heal eventually. I plan to call the guy from the feed store tomorrow, and talk to him about this.

 

[tiki244]

He looks like he could be getting an infection. I would definetely put him up in his own pad for the days you are gone.

 

[curliet]

We're back up north for the rest of the week. Actually, Hubby got here wed and I arrived yesterday. We were both worried about Buff, and also whether the girls might be getting something from him. Were so glad to see that everything seems to be fine, or at least not worse. Buff doesn't look any better, but not any worse either. I've been watching his behavior closely to see if he's trying to act healthy when he's not, but he really seems to be just fine, eating very well, drinking water, crowing and leading the girls around the yard. Last night I went out and tipped him upside down so I could look closely at his bottom, used a flashlight. Can't find any bugs, and he's still very pink but with no sores or open wounds. I covered him with Bag Balm, and he didn't put up a fuss at being touched, so it must not hurt. I'm hoping the pinkness is just a result of the feathers trying to grow back. He looks ridiculous, and I will continue to watch him closely, as well as the girls, but I am going to try not to worry about him. Of course, the bag balm will make him kinda sticky for a day or two, will have to clean him off every night. What we do for these darned
birds!?