Rooster walking weirdly.

[Ihavesomechickens]

My 11 1/2 week old EE rooster has been doing a weird thing since he was a baby chick. Whenever he is laying down and just moving over somewhere to lay down there he walks on his hocks. It’s like he’s too lazy to get up fully and he just shuffles over there.

He doesn’t have any other conditions or anything and I was just wondering if this was normal behavior for a lazy rooster. He’s been doing it his whole life and I just thought to ask.

 

[azygous]

It's not normal behavior, and it indicates leg pain or weakness.

Since he's had this since he was a small chick, it may be a congenital neurological condition, but Marek's is still a possibility. You may be able to improve it with vitamin therapy, but it's a long shot.

Give him one whole vitamin E 400iu capsule each day with a sliver of a selenium tablet, about 25mcg. Along with those, give a half of a vitamin B complex tablet each day. The first ones may be able to correct a vitamin E deficiency that is causing the leg weakness, and the B complex may be able to strengthen the legs.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

It's not normal behavior, and it indicates leg pain or weakness.

Since he's had this since he was a small chick, it may be a congenital neurological condition, but Marek's is still a possibility. You may be able to improve it with vitamin therapy, but it's a long shot.

Give him one whole vitamin E 400iu capsule each day with a sliver of a selenium tablet, about 25mcg. Along with those, give a half of a vitamin B complex tablet each day. The first ones may be able to correct a vitamin E deficiency that is causing the leg weakness, and the B complex may be able to strengthen the legs.

I’m leaning towards it being neurological, since he only does it in certain circumstances and he has other slight neurological problems. He has very strong legs and reminds me of that every day. Who knew a chicken could fall down 8 feet and not even flinch?