Rooster won’t stand. Still eating and drinking. Laying on his side.

[Kristenschlafer]

Need help ASAP we have a rooster that was acting fine yesterday and today can’t stand up on his own. Seems to flop to the side and kicks but can’t get his balance at all. We noticed yesterday that we have mites but could they cause something like this that fast? Please help if you can I can’t allow my son’s rooster to die!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry that your rooster is sick. How old is he? Do you have another rooster in the flock? Pictures of how he lies or sits can be helpful. Do you know if he could have been injured? I would feel of his crop to see if there is food and water in there, and that it is not full and hard or puffy. Look him over under his vent and elsewhere on his skin for lice or mites. Has he lost weight recently. Are his eyes clear and normal looking? How do his poops look?

This time of year we tend to hear about Mareks disease affecting chickens in their first year. Mareks can make them lose balance and have lameness in a leg or have a drooping wing. Other diseases may look and act like Mareks, so it is best to keep him near his food and water, and offer it up to his beak throughout the day to keep him nourished. Chicken feed mixed with water offered would be best for him, but you may offer him chopped egg or things like, mealworms, chopped liver, or tuna in small amounts. A chicken sling may be good to get him upright and keep him cleaner while having food and water in front of him within reach.

Here is some reading about Mareks disease:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are pictures of various homemade slings made with cloth or mesh attached to a box, a box, rubbermaid container, or hung inside a dog crate:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Kristenschlafer]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry that your rooster is sick. How old is he? Do you have another rooster in the flock? Pictures of how he lies or sits can be helpful. Do you know if he could have been injured? I would feel of his crop to see if there is food and water in there, and that it is not full and hard or puffy. Look him over under his vent and elsewhere on his skin for lice or mites. Has he lost weight recently. Are his eyes clear and normal looking? How do his poops look?

This time of year we tend to hear about Mareks disease affecting chickens in their first year. Mareks can make them lose balance and have lameness in a leg or have a drooping wing. Other diseases may look and act like Mareks, so it is best to keep him near his food and water, and offer it up to his beak throughout the day to keep him nourished. Chicken feed mixed with water offered would be best for him, but you may offer him chopped egg or things like, mealworms, chopped liver, or tuna in small amounts. A chicken sling may be good to get him upright and keep him cleaner while having food and water in front of him within reach.

Here is some reading about Mareks disease:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Thank you he looks normal and red comb and wattles and clear eyes but can’t stand we wrapped him in a towel and set him in the bottom of a cat carrier and he’s alert and eating eggs and super worms with red lake diatomaceous earth and drinking water with electrolytes and vitamins in it and we are treating the other members of the flock the same way is there any thing else that we could do or is that good till he gets better

 

[EggSighted4Life]

DE is irrelevant in feed and won't help him in any way.

What is your regular feed? And what are you doing to treat the mites you found?

Great info given by eggcesssive already.

Sorry you face this.

Hope he recovers quickly!

What is his age? What is the regular feed?

 

[Kristenschlafer]

DE is irrelevant in feed and won't help him in any way.

What is your regular feed? And what are you doing to treat the mites you found?

Great info given by eggcesssive already.

Sorry you face this.

Hope he recovers quickly!

What is his age? What is the regular feed?

His age is I think 9 months and his regular feed is cracked corn and layer crumbles but he gets grass and bugs all the time and table scraps and I just found out that it’s lice not mites

 

[EggSighted4Life]

His age is I think 9 months and his regular feed is cracked corn and layer crumbles but he gets grass and bugs all the time and table scraps and I just found out that it’s lice not mites

Depending upon your pasture conditions, stock load, and ratio of corn to layer feed... he could be having a nutrient deficit.

I recommend a permethrin based spray to treat the lice.. it's safe, effective, affordable, and easy to use... requiring no withdrawal time for eggs.. I use..

But it comes in many brand names and different concentrations. Simply part feathers just below vent, under each wing pit, and at the base of the back of the head. Just a simple spritz to the skin at each of those locations, soaking is NOT required. Waiting until roost time and using a flashlight will eliminate any chasing. Treat EVERYONE even if you don't see signs. Repeat according to directions, about 7-10 days later to get a good disruption in their life cycle. In MY location winter IS lice season. Don't treat willy nilly though when you don't have any indication... as resistance to the drug can become a problem. Re- treating the second time is ONE way to ensure resistance doesn't build. I only treat as needed and after several years it's still effective. That bottle lasted my flock of 82+, 2 large goats, and 3 medium dogs MORE than 2 years for around $8. Originally bought to keep mosquitoes off my goats, I discovered it's usefulness in chicken by accident. It is labeled for poultry!

 

[Eggcessive]

The layer feed should make up 90% of his diet. Corn is not necessary, and should be given sparingly as a treat. I agree with @EggSighted4Life that DE is not necessary, but permethrin spray or garden dust is very good to use on lice or mites. Here is a good link about lice and mites:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

Can your rooster move his legs at all? Have you read the article about Mareks? Do you know if your rooster was vaccinated?

 

[Eggcessive]

 

[Kristenschlafer]

He can move his legs and will kick if we try to hold them to his body. He had a hard time today and we thought we were about to lose him when he wouldn’t hold his head up or open his eyes. We got some respiratory medicine (sorry I’m at work and don’t remember the name) and have been treating him with that. He can now hold his head up and his eyes are open. I’ve ordered poultry powder and the flybrid spray suggested earlier but I won’t be able to pick it up until Wednesday because nothing is open for Christmas. He has not been vaccinated and I have had him since he was hatched and never a problem. He’s about 8 months old. Thank y’all for your help!