Rooster Sick - Advice please

[janine125]

Hi -
We have a two 2 year old mottled Cochin roosters (Mushu Chicken and Butterball). The one that is feeling ill (Mushu Chicken) lives in a pen with his brother. The pen (with a run) and where they sleep is cleaned weekly. Where they sleep is lined heavily with alot of fresh hay - I change the hay almost every other day and I check it daily to make sure it is dry. They are fed scratch and get vitamins. They are primarily pets and my daughter's 4h projects. We get them out several times a week to check them over. We live in SW PA. The roosters live at my friend's farm and I go there daily to care for them along with a few other of our chickens.

Last week we noticed Mushu was looking a bit "wilted" and his wattles and comb are now pale. Seems he's lost some weight. Last year he didn't didn't seem to take to the winter as well as the other chickens. I noticed he lost some weight. I started giving him some Rooster Booster as well as boiled eggs (just to help up his protein).

Yesterday he didn't seem to have perked up yet, so we brought him and his brother home to our house. Mushu smelled really bad. Like poop. My daughter bathed him today as we couldn't deal with the stench in the house any longer. And she noticed his feet were discolored. I am not sure what's going on now. This past Saturday I checked all of the chicken's feet and legs. Everyone's legs looked great. No discoloration. Mushu will eat and drink...he clucks like a happy bird talking to his brother when he's getting fed.

To sum it up here are his symptoms:
Discolored dark feet
Less energy
Pale comb
weight loss


Again, his brother who lives with him, looks fine. None of the other chickens at the farm have this...there are about 40 of them (those belong to my friend) and some of them do walk in the snow.

I am praying we can fix him up...if he can't go back outside in the colds again...so be it.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help him. I appreciate you taking the time to read this long post and helping!!

Thanks
J

 

[Eggcessive]

I think his feet have suffered frostbite, especially the left foot. The right one just looks like the toe got it, but the whole left foot looks discolored. I would bring him in and give his feet a warm epsom salt soak every day, but don't do that if he can't come inside. Put some betadine or iodine on his feet to prevent infection, and do not massage any frostbitten areas since they are painful, and you can damage the tissue. Hopefully, he will not lose the foot. Worming the roosters may help will the paleness, but roosters can look a little pale in winter while everyone is having a little down time.

 

[janine125]

Thank you so much for your reply. I will get him treated immediately. I have Mushu and his brother inside my house (in the game room) comfortable and quiet now. I didn't want to separate them since they have been together their whole lives.

I'll get him treated as you advised.

Thanks again!!!
-J