rooster won't eat, lethargic, not crowing, watery yellow poop

[Wyorp Rock]

I don't see anything unusual about the coloring of the legs.

I'm sorry he's not improving. Sounds like he may have Marek's.

 

[Hungry Chicken]

It could be that I never noticed the red on his legs before but it just looked like blood underneath his scales. I just read about Marek's and I was hoping that wasn't it... I'm not trying to doubt your authority/knowledge but is there anything else it could be? Marek's is pretty much a death sentence but is there anything we could do for him? Or should we just put an end to his misery?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It could be that I never noticed the red on his legs before but it just looked like blood underneath his scales. I just read about Marek's and I was hoping that wasn't it... I'm not trying to doubt your authority/knowledge but is there anything else it could be? Marek's is pretty much a death sentence but is there anything we could do for him? Or should we just put an end to his misery?

Well, I don't have any authority LOL

It's just you've been treating him for a while with no improvement and I'm speculating about what could be causing his decline.


If vet care is an option, it may be worth having him looked at.

 

[LaFleche]

It could be that I never noticed the red on his legs before but it just looked like blood underneath his scales. I just read about Marek's and I was hoping that wasn't it... I'm not trying to doubt your authority/knowledge but is there anything else it could be? Marek's is pretty much a death sentence but is there anything we could do for him? Or should we just put an end to his misery?

Where does he sleep at night? Check his coop thoroughly for poultry mites as they will suck the life out of a bird and can transmit diseases while sucking the blood of the bird.
They come out of the crevices at night to feast on their victims.

 

[Hungry Chicken]

Unfortunately a vet isn't an option for us. This evening when I was giving him antibiotics I noticed he was gurgling/sounding like he was blowing bubble with a straw. Wondering if we should put an end to his misery. I've never culled a chicken before and I had hoped I'd never have to but I've been reading and watching videos and I think I could do it if it seems like there's no hope for him

Where does he sleep at night? Check his coop thoroughly for poultry mites as they will suck the life out of a bird and can transmit diseases while sucking the blood of the bird.
They come out of the crevices at night to feast on their victims.

Normally he sleeps on a roost. However the last few days he's been sleeping on the ground as he can't jump up to it. I checked the whole coop for mites but I couldn't find any. Wondering if I should try some diamontacious earth in the coop anyway?

 

[LaFleche]

I checked the whole coop for mites but I couldn't find any. Wondering if I should try some diamontacious earth in the coop anyway?

Checking for poultry mites is best done at night as it is only then that they come out of the crecices to feed on their victims.

You can put double-sided adhesive tape on the underside of the roost and around the ends where they meet the coop walls.
This way the mites will get stuck to the tape on their way to the bird and you will be able to see if there is a mite issue going on and how serious it is.
DE will not help fast enough in case of serious mite infestation, but you can use a torch blower (have a bucket of water at the ready!) and sticky tape. Permethrin poultry dust is also recommended.

when I was giving him antibiotics I noticed he was gurgling/sounding like he was blowing bubble with a straw.

How did you administer the antibiotic? Is it a pill or in liquid form?
This is how to safely do it so as not to accidentally have the bird aspirate :

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is his crop emptying? I know I've asked before, but I'm asking again.

 

[Hungry Chicken]

I just checked the coop for mites again but did not see any. Will put tape on the roosts in the morning

As for the gurgling it was before I gave him the pills not after. And at the moment it has stopped but don't know if it will come back. Antibiotics are pills that I've crushed to feed him

I'm fairly certain his crop is emptying but I will double check in the morning. He's been eating less yesterday/today and all he will willingly eat is watermelon... has sugar and water but not enough nutrients. Have been giving him B-Complex vitamins but not sure if it helps. Crop is mostly empty though

 

[Hungry Chicken]

Crop seems to be emptying normally but it's hard to tell since he's refusing to eat much of anything. However he's not doing much better. Today he appeared to be "throwing up" some yellow liquid (harder to tell in picture ). We are thinking about culling him tonight or tomorrow morning but wanted to see if anyone has any thoughts

 

[LaFleche]

I am sorry he is worse.

Is the bird in your profile picture the sick rooster?
If so, he might be suffering from some kind of circulatory disease or heart failure as in you profile picture half his comb is already showing the blue/black colour of cyanosis.