Sick/dying roosters

[CrashingPines]

I lost my flock rooster a couple months ago to a weird, wasting illness. I checked all through these forums and couldn’t find anything described that fit. He was a year old, perfectly healthy and had fathered a clutch of ten eggs that hatched. He suddenly stopped crowing, then seemed lethargic and clumsy. At the end he would lay in the feed and peck at it. I found him dead one morning. He seemed thin. I had checked him all over, no wounds, fly strike or full croup. everyone else, including the 9 week old chicks, are healthy and vigorous.
Now, my 9 month old Ayam Cemani rooster has the same symptoms. He is suddenly lethargic, losing his balance and weak and thin. I’ve separated him, am giving him electrolytes and hand feeding him. He eats but he’s clearly not well.
Any thoughts on what this may be? Thanks!

 

[pozees2]

Could be many things, parasites, Marek's, exposure to toxin - has your flock ever been treated for parasites, internal and/or external? Is your flock vaccinated for Marek's? Is there anything he could be gaining access to that could be toxic, does he eat all the same things as the other birds or is he fed something different?

 

[CrashingPines]

Could be many things, parasites, Marek's, exposure to toxin - has your flock ever been treated for parasites, internal and/or external? Is your flock vaccinated for Marek's? Is there anything he could be gaining access to that could be toxic, does he eat all the same things as the other birds or is he fed something different?

Thank you. Never treated for parasites except dusting coop floor with DE. My first rooster was vaccinated but the Cemani I got from a fellow backyard chicken owner who probably did not.

 

[Isaac 0]

I lost my flock rooster a couple months ago to a weird, wasting illness. I checked all through these forums and couldn’t find anything described that fit. He was a year old, perfectly healthy and had fathered a clutch of ten eggs that hatched. He suddenly stopped crowing, then seemed lethargic and clumsy. At the end he would lay in the feed and peck at it. I found him dead one morning. He seemed thin. I had checked him all over, no wounds, fly strike or full croup. everyone else, including the 9 week old chicks, are healthy and vigorous.
Now, my 9 month old Ayam Cemani rooster has the same symptoms. He is suddenly lethargic, losing his balance and weak and thin. I’ve separated him, am giving him electrolytes and hand feeding him. He eats but he’s clearly not well.
Any thoughts on what this may be? Thanks!

Hard to tell since these symptoms are pretty nonspecific to any disease. Have you done a complete physical examination, checking for any sign of ectoparasites, mainly under his wings and vent area, check inside his mouth for any lesions, or odd smell, around his eyes for any discoloration?

Really at this point, your best bet would be seeing an avian vet.

 

[WhatTheDuckingDuck]

I’m sorry for your troubles. I’ll add a necropsy May be in order if your rooster doesn’t pull through. Best of luck.

 

[pozees2]

My suggestion would be to treat proactively for external parasites just in case, see if your vet will look at a fecal without seeing the bird(s) - see if he or she will let you bring a flock sample so it can be checked for internal parasites. The AC may have Marek's, I don't know if the breed is particularly resistant or susceptible to it, but it's good he is separated. Typical symptoms to look for are one-sided lameness or paralysis, eating but losing weight, depression, ultimately inability to ambulate at all, they generally finally give up eating, and die.

 

[BuckeyeAmy69]

Are you feeding layer feed? Roosters can develop internal organ problems from the extra calcium in layer feed. Also, I don't recommend using DE. It's actually not good for their sensitive respiratory systems and it's basically powdered snake oil in my opinion.

I hope you can figure out the problem!

 

[CrashingPines]

Thank you all!
My AC died last night.
I do feed layer food. But the majority of their diet is from free ranging

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I lost my flock rooster a couple months ago to a weird, wasting illness. I checked all through these forums and couldn’t find anything described that fit. He was a year old, perfectly healthy and had fathered a clutch of ten eggs that hatched. He suddenly stopped crowing, then seemed lethargic and clumsy. At the end he would lay in the feed and peck at it. I found him dead one morning. He seemed thin. I had checked him all over, no wounds, fly strike or full croup. everyone else, including the 9 week old chicks, are healthy and vigorous.
Now, my 9 month old Ayam Cemani rooster has the same symptoms. He is suddenly lethargic, losing his balance and weak and thin. I’ve separated him, am giving him electrolytes and hand feeding him. He eats but he’s clearly not well.
Any thoughts on what this may be? Thanks!

Thank you all!
My AC died last night.
I do feed layer food. But the majority of their diet is from free ranging

I'm sorry about your cockerel.
Where are you located in the world?
If possible, refrigerate the body and send it to your state lab for testing so you can get some answers about his decline. It would be good to know what you are dealing with, otherwise it's just speculation on our part.

I'll be glad to help look up your state info.