Rooster With Leg Tremors

[Mimi13]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous

Could I please indulge you experts to look at the last three videos I posted (posts #6,7,8) last week showing my rooster’s leg tremor? This tremor has been going on about 6 months now, increasingly getting worse. It is affecting Rusty’s mating ability, which breaks my heart. All my birds free range and he has no problem keeping up with them, but I can tell it really bothers him. He is still able to chase Dooley, my younger #2 roo.

From time to time I will hold him in my lap and I have noticed his leg does not shake when he is laying down.

My heart is broken over this because I wanted a rooster so bad and I went through 12 not-so-good ones before finally landing on the sweetest, most perfect cockerel in my Welsummer/Barred Rock mixed breed. He was my very first chick in my very first batch of eggs to hatch in my incubator. Unfortunately, with his less than adequate mating ability, I’m afraid he is going to possibly wind up hurting some hens, which means only one thing - that he will have to be put down. Ugh! I don’t want that to happen.

Hopefully someone will have an idea about what could be wrong with him that I can help to correct. I would love nothing more than for him to live out his life with all his girls.

And, as always, thank you for taking the time to look at him. I do appreciate all of you.

 

[azygous]

That's quite a tremor, all right. Tremors often originate in the brain, so vitamin E could help.

If it doesn't help, something else could be going on in his muscles and nerves of that leg. B-complex might help.

So I would try E and the B-complex.

 

[Mimi13]

That's quite a tremor, all right. Tremors often originate in the brain, so vitamin E could help.

If it doesn't help, something else could be going on in his muscles and nerves of that leg. B-complex might help.

So I would try E and the B-complex.

I thank you and Hillbilly, Carol.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try the vitamin E (400 IU) and 1/4 tablet daily of super B complex daily. That has riboflavin and other B’s that may be helpful. Sometimes in the videos it appears that his foot curves in, which might be a sign of varus deformity, a leg deformity that can occur in one or both legs where the knee bows out. I have never seen these tremors in one leg before, but I suppose it might be from stress on the leg bone or tendons. Here is a picture of a young cockerel with varus deformityin the left leg:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6886677/width/350/height/700

You can scroll down the page in this article to see pictures of both varus and valgus deformities:
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens

 

[duluthralphie]

Because tremors likely start in the brain...

I cure them by separating the brain from the body at the neck.

 

[Mimi13]

I would try the vitamin E (400 IU) and 1/4 tablet daily of super B complex daily. That has riboflavin and other B’s that may be helpful. Sometimes in the videos it appears that his foot curves in, which might be a sign of varus deformity, a leg deformity that can occur in one or both legs where the knee bows out. I have never seen these tremors in one leg before, but I suppose it might be from stress on the leg bone or tendons. Here is a picture of a young cockerel with varus deformityin the left leg:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6886677/width/350/height/700

You can scroll down the page in this article to see pictures of both varus and valgus deformities:
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens

Very interesting. Although I have never noticed any inward turn of his feet or legs I will definitely look closely at him in the morning.

Also, I will get the vitamins tomorrow and begin him on them immediately. I can only hope.

Thank you.

 

[Mimi13]

Because tremors likely start in the brain...

I cure them by separating the brain from the body at the neck.

Oh lord, Ralphie. Only you!

 

[micstrachan]

Oh goodness he’s beautiful and your yard looks magical!!!

I agree with trying the vitamin therapy. Poor guy. Have you palpated both legs and thighs to see if they feel different? Would he let you gently massage his thigh? I don’t think it could hurt.

 

[Mimi13]

Oh goodness he’s beautiful and your yard looks magical!!!

I agree with trying the vitamin therapy. Poor guy. Have you palpated both legs and thighs to see if they feel different? Would he let you gently massage his thigh? I don’t think it could hurt.

Thank you so much, Michelle. Rusty is my sweetheart boy - I finally got one - and I do love where I live, mostly because of all my animals. Living in the country certainly has its perks.

I have felt of his legs many times wondering if there was something wrong that I could feel, but I couldn’t. When I hold him I guess I do give him a mini massage, simply just trying to make his tremors go away. But sadly, only completely laying down makes them stop.

I go into town today for my Covid vaccination so I’m going to stop at the store to get him some vitamins. I so hope this works. Thank you for caring about “my old bird.”

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Just wanted to ask how Rusty is doing? You're giving him extra vitamins?
Btw: I have a nice drake by the name of Rusty (he has a lot of rust color in his feathers) and he is a real sweetheart with the ducks too. The remaining 2019 Spring Ducklings have adopted him into their group and he is doing a good job together with Erpelchen to fend of the three thugs, the local serial rapists.