Rooster with a super bad leg

[Eckielady]

and we can’t figure out what is going on. He’s been kind of funny all summer off and on. He’ll be fine and then suddenly he’ll seem just a little low in energy and we’ve noticed a little purple at the back of his comb. Then suddenly he’s fine again.
Now we caught him laying down which he ever does. I didn’t think anything of it until the next day when my daughter told me he was limping. Now he’s not walking at all. One leg is fine but the other one.....I’m not sure what happened. If he hurt it coming out of the coop or??? I see absolutely nothing wrong on the outside and it seems he can move it a little which makes me think it’s not dislocated (?) but it’s been a few days and maybe it’s too soon to see a sprain heal? He’s not even trying to walk. Just lays in his kennel inside.

I hope mentioning that first part doesn’t stop people from focusing on his leg but if somehow they’re related I hated to not bring it up.
Honestly I think if I had to guess I believe he must have hurt himself coming out of the coop but I don’t know what to do at this point.
Thanks for any advice. We like this little critter and he’s an amazing rooster so if we’d be happy if we could fix it. He’s a bantam cochin.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

He’s been kind of funny all summer off and on. He’ll be fine and then suddenly he’ll seem just a little low in energy and we’ve noticed a little purple at the back of his comb. Then suddenly he’s fine again.
Now we caught him laying down which he ever does. I didn’t think anything of it until the next day when my daughter told me he was limping. Now he’s not walking at all. One leg is fine but the other one

I see absolutely nothing wrong on the outside and it seems he can move it a little which makes me think it’s not dislocated (?) but it’s been a few days and maybe it’s too soon to see a sprain heal? He’s not even trying to walk. Just lays in his kennel inside.

How old is your rooster?
Can you take a video of him or post some photos? For video, upload to youtube and provide a link.
What type of food/treats do you feed?
Is he able to eat/drink on his own, what's his poop like?

Limping can be from a lot of things, but the not being able to walk now at all is concerning. Marek's comes to mind since he seems to have worsened.
Sadly, there is no cure for Marek's. Some offer supportive care by giving B vitamins. B-Complex can be given or you can use a poultry vitamin like Poultry Cell to see if that gives him a boost.

Check to make sure his crop is emptying overnight and that he has no lice/mites. Check the bottom of the feet for any indication of swelling/sores, leg scales for Scaly Leg Mites, etc.
A sling is sometimes helpful to keep the chicken upright and more comfortable. He would need to be monitored closely and taken out of the sling periodically to give him a break.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

If you happen to lose him, getting some testing to find out the cause would be a good idea. I believe TN the cost is minimal or free for residents https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/consumers/pets/animal-health-diagnostic-lab0.html

 

[Eckielady]

Thanks so much for the reply. I looked up marek’s again last night just to rule it out and I really don’t think that’s it. It’s just the one leg. If I help him he puts pressure on the other but his balance just makes him lay down. He’s eating and drinking fine and poop is completely normal. He’s about a year old.
I’ve checked his leg over completely and there is not a single issue to be found. No cuts, scrapes, mites. It’s perfectly fine except he can’t put weight on it.

 

[Eckielady]

I just checked him again and his crop is massive. Feels like it’s all liquid. Still pooping. What do I do?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks so much for the reply. I looked up marek’s again last night just to rule it out and I really don’t think that’s it. It’s just the one leg. If I help him he puts pressure on the other but his balance just makes him lay down. He’s eating and drinking fine and poop is completely normal. He’s about a year old.
I’ve checked his leg over completely and there is not a single issue to be found. No cuts, scrapes, mites. It’s perfectly fine except he can’t put weight on it.

I just checked him again and his crop is massive. Feels like it’s all liquid. Still pooping. What do I do?

Hopefully it's just an injury, but a lot of times Marek's affects only 1 leg.
The crop, check it first thing in the morning before he has had anything to eat/drink, it should be empty. Checking the crop during the day usually is not an accurate way to gauge function.

 

[Eckielady]

Hopefully it's just an injury, but a lot of times Marek's affects only 1 leg.
The crop, check it first thing in the morning before he has had anything to eat/drink, it should be empty. Checking the crop during the day usually is not an accurate way to gauge function.

I pulled his food and water awhile ago. Figured I shouldn’t panic until morning. Thanks!!
So if it was Mareks wouldn’t there be other signs showing up?

 

[EggWalrus]

Wyorp has given some pretty good advice.
I had a rooster get Marek's. He was down in 1 leg for months then it got both legs. Kept him in a seperate pen at the other side of property. Luckily, about 6 months later he got better and within a year he was hell on heels. Fighting, feeding, and you know, the 3 Fs. I found him and another bird half eaten in the yard one morning and there were reports of rabies in the news so I sent them off for testing. No rabies but they said he had Marek's. I haven't seen any other signs of it in the rest of my birds and still don't know how he contracted it.

 

[Eckielady]

Well, crop is still full and his leg almost acts dislocated. I’m not sure what to do at this point and think we may have to put him down. His comb is drooping and he’s hurting.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is there any way you could seek vet care for him? I agree with @Wyorp Rock that it could be a leg injury or Mareks, but it would be good to see a video. Aspirin 81 mg low dose 1/2 tablet can be given twice a day for pain. The problem with injuries, is it is hard to know whether there is a fracture or a sprain, or something is dislocated. Have you ever lost any birds before with leg issues or unknown causes?

 

[Eckielady]

No, we’ve never seen an issue like this before. I messed with his leg just a bit this morning and it really acts dislocated. If I set my hand against it there is 0 pressure back.
I can’t take him to the vet. We have too many chickens to ever do that. I do what I can and we leg them go if we have to. Just the way it has to be.