Rooster won't walk. Not eating or drinking.

[chicken vet girl]

One of my bantam roosters won't walk. I haven't seen him eat or drink anything in almost 2 days.

Wednesday late afternoon I saw 2 roosters beating him up. He wasn't fighting back at all, just cowering. I thought maybe his leg was broken and that's why he wouldn't move. So I raced over there and grabbed him. His leg wasn't broken, but when I set him on the ground he would just fall, not putting any weight on his right leg as if he had a loss of equilibrium or paralyzed on his right side. The other roosters had also bitten/scratched his right eyelid. Later, he started walking in circles with his wings hanging away from his body (like a chicken that is really hot) and he was breathing with his mouth open. He felt hot too so I took his temperature, which was 106.7F.

Around 8:30 His temperature was 108F.

Thursday he was crowing and grooming himself. He wouldn't walk at all, but he did turn around twice. His right eye started looking not right and I got a film off it, so I started using terramycin eye ointment. I also have been giving him echinacea and probiotics. I haven't seen him eat or drink since Wednesday. His temperature is within normal range now.

Does anyone know what might be causing this? I thought I might mention he does have bacteria growth in his throat. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with what is going on right now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of his injuries or a video of his actions?
Upload videos to youtube or similar platform then provide us a link.

You mention that he has a bacterial growth in his throat. Do you mean he has Canker? What are you using to treat that?

If you have vet care, that is always best.

I would isolate him, keep him hydrated and see if he will eat. Poultry vitamins that contain E and B vitamins may also provide support.

Some of the other symptoms you describe - walking in circles, wings hanging down, unable to walk, etc. sound neurological. I would also look at Marek's disease as a big possibility. If you lose him, send the body to your state lab for necropsy, this will give you some answers.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How old is your boy? Was he vaccinated for Marek's?

105-107 is normal for chickens. What is the "normal range" of temperature that he is in now?

What is a bacteria growth in his throat? Are you treating it with something? Can you post a pic? Yes, discomfort in the mouth can stop a bird from eating and drinking. Fluids are important, dehydration is deadly.

 

[chicken vet girl]

I'm not sure what the bacteria growth in his throat is. He was treated with LA 200. His lab results for a choanal swab should be in tomorrow. He is isolated and I am giving him lactated ringers SQ. He was not vaccinated for Marek's disease. He is 3 years old. He was eating and drinking fine before he was attacked by the other roosters, so probably not because of the bacteria. His temperature is around 104-105F right now. Regular chicken temperatures seem to fluctuate alot, but 104-105F seems the norm with all my chickens right now. Last summer I had a lot of chickens with 105-107F. He is not circling anymore. He hasn't walked at all yesterday or today. He acts totally normally besides eating&drinking and not walking.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hopefully you can get your test results back soon and will be able to give him the correct treatment.

Often times a disease like Marek's will show up during times of stress even in older birds. The disease allows other illnesses/conditions to take hold because of a compromised immune system.

I would continue supportive care until you get more information.

 

[Eggcessive]

Temperatures in chickens can be all over the place from 102 to 108, depending on when they have last eaten. Birds who have not been eating for days may drop pretty low. The stress of the fight might have sent his upward, or he may have had fever from the infection inside his beak.

Viruses, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan infections canshow up as yellowish white plaques inside the beak, throat, trachea, or espophagus. What signs was he showing when you had the culture done? Have you had any fowl pox from mosquitoes or scabs on combs, faces, or wattles in your flock recently?

I also would recommend some vitamins including E and thiamine for the neuro signs, which can be similar to wry neck. Offer some chopped egg, tuna, or sunflower kernels for selenium to facilitate the vitamin E.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

He is 3 years old. He was eating and drinking fine before he was attacked by the other roosters

That actually is kind of normal for them to take a while to get back to normal after a major confrontation like you describe. Shock stops eating in my experience and hydration is key cause they won't starve to death quickly. Hydration is key.

Wow, SQ... you are brave, I need to learn that. And keeping him hydrated while he may be slightly in shock is great.

Not sure what LA 200 is... I let my birds make their own antibiotic to fight stuff off and with proper nutrition they do surprisingly well. I'm just not into treating what I don't know and maybe making things worse.

I wonder if the trouble walking started before the attack... and actually triggered the other to take their step up? Or if the trouble walking is from the beating... or as mentioned something brought out by it.

We are here to learn as well as to be supportive and help as much as possible... If you get a chance or have the ability to share a pic of the inside of the mouth and the result of your swab plus how much it costed you... that would be fantastic.

Boys don't get to live 3 years here... if they are really good flock members. I hope you get both answers and recovery! I personally like poultry nutri drench... and after an injury like to offer highly nutritious and palatable things... like scrambled egg or yogurt.

 

[Eggcessive]

LA 200 is injectable oxytetracycline, an antibiotic that treats some respiratory diseases, among some other infections.

 

[chicken vet girl]

Will Marek's show up on a choanal swab test? He wasn't showing any symptoms other than white/yellow film in his throat when I had the test sent to the lab. I have been having issues with bacteria in my chickens' throats. So, I have been checking all the chickens throats and that is how I noticed his bacteria. I haven't had any scabs/scales on combs or wattles in a long time, and never on him. I know he was eating/drinking before the attack (I check everyone's crops at bedtime). If he had any trouble walking before the attack I didn't notice it. He was walking around free range and climbing the steps to get into the coop before the attack, so if he was having trouble walking it must have been very subtle.

If he is in shock will he be crowing? If the issues with mobility were caused by the fight, how long till he walks again?

 

[Eggcessive]

Mareks is best diagnosed after death when the state vet will examine feather shafts and any tumor tissue and test those. I don’t think oral swabs are done for Mareks, but they would not be reliable. I have heard of labs testing feather shafts and possibly doing blood tests, but I think the most accurate is the kind done on a body, unfortunately. A lot of testing can have false negatives.

What are they testing for? They can do elisa or PCR testing for certain diseases, such as mycoplasmas and coryza. During necropsies, they do some viral and fungal testing as well. You might check with the vet or lab that did the swab.