Rooster tail feathers broken?

[Jhura]

Hello,

I have a two-year-old Cemani boy, who is experiencing really bad broken tail feathers. No one else has them. I’ve checked and treated for any and all kind of mites but we don’t see anything. We’ve done electorPSP, ivermectin and permethrin. I also deworm them earlier this spring.

He gets a good all-flock, organic feed diet, plus some watermelon and yogurt and greens here and there. He ate some sardines out of my hand today so he has an appetite.

I also noticed that when we put him down he stumbles, like he’s struggling to balance himself? He can fly up to a roost also, but when he flies down he stumbles. He doesn’t seem to have any problems with his eyesight, because he zones in on my alpha rooster all day lol They are separated. And he does not mate with his girls much at all either. He used to not now.

I will also mention that we have a mild virulent form of Mareks and ALV. My losses have been about one a month, to various symptoms, and they were mostly hens except for one bantam Americauna boy.

I attached pictures of his broken tail feathers. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[FunClucks]

Hello,

I have a two-year-old Cemani boy, who is experiencing really bad broken tail feathers. No one else has them. I’ve checked and treated for any and all kind of mites but we don’t see anything. We’ve done electorPSP, ivermectin and permethrin. I also deworm them earlier this spring.

He gets a good all-flock, organic feed diet, plus some watermelon and yogurt and greens here and there. He ate some sardines out of my hand today so he has an appetite.

I also noticed that when we put him down he stumbles, like he’s struggling to balance himself? He can fly up to a roost also, but when he flies down he stumbles. He doesn’t seem to have any problems with his eyesight, because he zones in on my alpha rooster all day lol They are separated. And he does not mate with his girls much at all either. He used to not now.

I will also mention that we have a mild virulent form of Mareks and ALV. My losses have been about one a month, to various symptoms, and they were mostly hens except for one bantam Americauna boy.

I attached pictures of his broken tail feathers. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you!

The two feathers with the dark white shaft around them are actually growing in. Those are good feathers. The others, looks like someone has been eating him. Hens will "groom" roosters they like - they can over groom, or just nibble on him, and many roos will just let them. The wobbliness could be due to not having enough feathers to keep him steady during flight, or to the flock illnesses, don't know. Grooming/nibbling / feather picking often happens at night on the roost, so you may not see it without cameras.

 

[Jhura]

We do have a camera in the coop and I never noticed them nibbling on him… they don’t even like him lol It’s just so weird. His preening gland looks OK just a little dirty…

 

[CombNWattles]

I agree with the feather picking diagnosis. It’s normal for the preen gland to be a little dirty; dirt from dustbathing sticks to the oils.
This is unlikely in a young rooster, but could his spurs be too long? Are they interfering with his walking?