Hello! For a few weeks now my rooster has lost a huge amount of weight, although he is still eating and drinking, and is inactive. He still follows around the hens, but is in a subdued state. He is not annoyed about being picked up as usual, and makes no resistance. He weighs nothing, and has lost a considerable amount of size. Also, his comb has got smaller, and is not such a vibrant colour. Any idea what is wrong with him? I was thinking of the possibility of worms, as he has not been de-wormed for a while. André
It could be quite a few things but I'd sure start by deworming him with something effective, Valbazen or liquid Safeguard for goats would be very good choices. It would be a good idea to worm all of them, be sure to do a repeat dose 10 days after the first dose. Also check carefully for mites/lice. I would get those possibilities covered, see if he perks up and go from there.
My latest treatment is to worm with valbazen or [ safeguard-5 days in a row] , dust for bugs, like cafarmgirl suggests. then sulfadimethoxine and an antibiotic, and -cillin or Tylan . That will cover most of the treatable things. I figure they could die if untreated, or treated with the wrong thing, so I hit most of the bacteria with anything that works. Others may have some good ideas too.
Welcome to BYC Andre. How old is your rooster, and have you had him long? The others have all given good suggestions, but if he is new or you have added other birds recently, then he could have coccidiosis or something else going on. The symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy, weakness, standing around puffed up or hunching, diarrhea with or without blood, and a poor appetite. The treatment for that is Corid (amprollium) in the water for 5-7 days, but I would also worm him too with Valbazen too in case of worms. It is good to give your chickens a probiotic in their water such as Probios or Gro2Max to help with intestinal health. It helps to prevent a lot of diseases. Some poultry vitamin supplements also include probiotics, and they can be used 2-3 times a week.