Rooster with weird head bobble thing

[tjs22]

I just got a little banty rooster who is at least a year old. I immediately noticed he is consistently doing a head shake or a sideways figure 8 motion with his head. It almost looks involuntary. He came from a cow farm, they don't feed them properly and the chickens kinda just fend for themselves. His comb is also pecked up pretty good. He is in isolation in a dark quiet spot with food and water currently. I notice him standing still often with eyes closed. And he's just slow moving. I noticed one of his wattles is swollen, feels fluid filled possibly of pecking?

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
~Banty roo, 1 yr old, feels light a bit skinny perhaps
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
~head is circling in a sideways figure 8 motion every few minutes, sitting still with eyes closed periodically, not real active
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
~since I got him 3 days ago, seems to be getting worse
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
~no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
~pecking on combs and wattles, he is in his own area now
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
~no idea
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
~very little
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
~haven't seen any poo yet, will check next time I go out
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
~none
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
~self treat
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
~hay, he is in a good sized coop by himself till he is better

 

[Wyorp Rock]

head is circling in a sideways figure 8 motion every few minutes, sitting still with eyes closed periodically, not real active

since I got him 3 days ago, seems to be getting worse

rooster is most likely dying. Need not eating at. He is puffed up with eyes closed and falls over when standing.

Just wanted to add that his poo is white. Like sheet rock mud same consistency I would say. Just a small amount. His comb and wattles are turning black.

Can you post some photos of him and the poop? (comb, swollen wattle, whole chicken, load us up with photos)

I'm sorry that he is not doing well. Was he acting o.k. before you got him 3days ago?
Feel of his crop - is it full, hard, soft, squishy, doughy, empty, flat?
This would not necessarily be the cause of his behavior, but have you checked him for external parasites? Look inside his ears too.

The head motion - you mention that it seems involuntary, a video of that would be good, but head/neck motions can be adjusting the crop or neurological. Since he is falling over while standing, I do wonder about Marek's disease.

A comb/wattle turning black makes me think he is having oxygen troubles - does he have any other injuries at all - pecking wounds to the comb/wattles would leave some scabs, but to me, would not cause this type of behavior unless he has more injury wounds somewhere else on the body - check his whole body under the feathers, was he possibly attacked?

Getting a fecal float is always a good idea to rule out worms.

The only thing I can suggest at this point would be to get him hydrated-getting him drinking is the first order of business. Electrolytes or poultry vitamins like Nutri-Drench/Rooster Booster would be good. Once he is drinking very well, then offer him more egg or some wet chicken feed.

There are so many things that can affect chickens, sometimes it's a process of elimination with symptoms. I do recommend that you keep him quarantined for at least 3wks or if he does not improve see if you can take him back or consider culling him. I know this sounds harsh, but starting out with a sick chicken is not an ideal situation to be in.

Look forward to the photos, hopefully we can give you more suggestions.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

To my suprise, the rooster opened his eyes long enough to drink some water, then closed his eyes again.(with me holding it right in front of his face) But he did do this multiple times and drank quite a bit. He doesn't seem to be interested in eating. Hoping he makes it through the night and we will try eggs again tomorrow. I'll take pics tomorrow if he's still with us. Is it a possibltity that the black on his comb and wattles is from bruising from the pecking? Maybe he's in much more pain than I thought from being pecked. Wondering if he was wobbly earlier from just being weak? Will update tomorrow. Thank you for your answers!!

@tjs22 it's good that you were able to get some water into him.
Photos will be most helpful. I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs if he was pecked or beaten up, this could be the cause of his symptoms. Injuries can make a chicken lethargic, so more information is welcomed.

Mybeloved rooster was attacked by a raccoon. (I think). I have been spoon feeding/watering him for a week, as his neck is unstable. He wants so badly to walk and be normal!! What can I do to help him??? I feel so helpless!

Hi @Sinful chick I'm sorry to hear your rooster was attacked. If you prefer, you can start your own thread - you will get more answers, but we will be glad to help you the best we can.
It sounds like he has extensive injuries to the neck, is that correct? Are his wounds healing - do you see any signs of infection?
It good that you are able to get food/water into him - add some poultry vitamins to the water or direct dose him once a day with Poultry Nutri-Drench at 1cc per 3lbs of weight.
Keep trying to get his normal feed into him, some will readily eat a little egg on their own, so you might want to see if he will take that as a treat - but he does need a balanced poultry feed if at all possible.
Is he unable to stand? You could try making him a sling - this may help strengthen the legs - google "chicken sling" and you will find a lot of creative ideas.
Hope he gets better soon, please keep us posted.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I see that in roosters whenever their combs or wattles are damaged. Most times frostbite damage, sometimes fighting damage. It should go away as the tissue heals. He's basically trying to shake off the discomfort.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Going to a new home is stressful and can bring out illnesses. Hopefully someone else will recommend something. I know there's a product called VetRx people recommend but I not sure. I would say keep him warm and quiet, and feed him eggs if he's interested, they are full of nutrients.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mybeloved rooster was attacked by a raccoon. (I think). I have been spoon feeding/watering him for a week, as his neck is unstable. He wants so badly to walk and be normal!! What can I do to help him??? I feel so helpless!

He will take weeks to heal, maybe longer. Keep him quiet and comfortable, and let him do it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have had a few bantam cochin roosters get into some big fights. They can be listless afterwards, and it can take a few weeks for them to heal up. It is possible he's sore. As long as he's willing to drink that's a good sign.

 

[tjs22]

He does look more ill than sore to me. Poor guy.

Yeah I feel terrible. He purks up for a bit then goes right back to sitting with his eyes closed. But he is more alert then yesterday, and is eating a bit more. We will see. Hope the damn mites don't infest my house. He's in the bathroom. I replaced his hay and box, and spayed him and his box and hay and all around his area and even up my walls and my floor a bit, anywhere surrounding his box with elector psp. I have used this stuff before with great success for the same mite and it worked amazingly. My husband is not happy with me for bringing him inside. Opps

 

[Wyorp Rock]

NO

Not that I can see from the outside...(no blood, like his face) What is your opinion on if he will be able to live a semi-normal life?

It's hard to know how well he will recover. A lot depends on the extent of the injury - if he has nerve damage, he may never be quite right or decline further or he just may need more time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Rooster still is sleepy. I just saw him poop this and he seemed to be in pain and was straining to pass this. He was chirping like in pain when straining. Any ideas what this poo could indicate? Looks like there's some watery blood?

@tjs22 That poop, to me is not normal. I would start treatment with Corid asap to see if that makes an improvement.

Stop any poultry vitamins that contain Thiamine (B1) while using the Corid.

Corid dosage for is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder per gallon or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water.
Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.
After you finish the treatment, then offer poultry vitamins and probiotics for a few days.

I know I can’t rush this
I know, and I’m trying not to sound impatient. But , for instance, I had to leave yesterday for an hour and a half. I was hauling butt to get home in case he needed me. How long do I do this ? Are there people out there that would like (and have the time) to take care of my sweet boy? I’m supposed to go out of town overnight in a few weeks, and I don’t know what to do with him. I’ve had these plans for months and can’t cancel. (Sorry...I know I’m whining)

@Sinful chick

I do understand where you are coming from and your are not whining.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, an injured or sick chicken makes no progress or they decline further. You do have to consider what is best for yourself (your mental well being, your commitments, etc) and what is best for him as well. If he is in pain and suffering, it's a kindness to let them go. It is not an easy decision at all, most of us have been there, so take some time and weigh all your options.

I'm so very sorry.