Sick? or old? Roo, please help

[LOVE2FARM]

I have searched through the forum and files and can't find an answer, sorry if this is common and I missed reading it.

Give us the following information. The more you tell us, the better we will be able to help you.

1) What type of bird , age and weight. (Gold Laced Wyandotte? cross, 8 yr old, large
2) What is the behavior, exactly. (sluggish, sits alot, not eating, now won't crow or is a weak crow, diarehea (sp) comb darkens and returns normal, panting)
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? (1 week)
4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. (no)
5) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. (dont know, he is a free range chicken)
6) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. (picks at feed, gave cooked and raw eggs, at first he jumped on it, now he eats very little)
7) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. (not much poop, watery)
8) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? (treated for lice with poultry lice powder 1 week ago, added dedaceous earth to sand bath area) ( gave terramycin in water for 2 days, also used Wazine 2 different days, as they were due for worming)
9 ) 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? (would like to treat myself, but may call today to see if vet has any ideas)
10) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. (no)
11) Describe the housing/bedding in use (Coop is a wooden shed with pine shavings to come and go as they want, otherwise have 5 acres to roam) Most of the summer they live under my porch in the heat.) He sleeps in a large nest box at night with shavings and hay. He likes his hens to sit with him, last 2 nights he has not gotten into the nest box.

I have cleaned out coop completely, dusted with poultry lice powder, cleaned out again a week later and dusted with DE. We had an extremely hot week, I lost his sister during the heat spell, with no warning. She was fine and laid an egg that day(soft shells) and the next morning was dead. I think she may have had one break.

I have tried what I could find on the internet, but I have not found all symptoms, could this be old age? I am one not to assume it is, until I have tried everything, he is my sweetheart.

Karen

 

[smith2]

I don't know, but 8 years is pretty old for a rooster. They live a high energy life-style and I lost one last month from a heart attack that was between 6-7 years old. Yours may just be wearing out.

 

[ranchhand]

Dang, I don't have an easy answer for you, all I can tell you is what I would do.

I'd check really carefully at night for mites. No mites? No treatment. No worms? No treatment. In other words, stop with all chemicals unless you have evidence. All that stuff is hard on a chicken's system.

Then start feeding yogurt, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, a bit of berries and treats, as well as the usual feed. Anything you can get him to eat.

He may be sick, in which case you are treating symptomatically and providing support. Or he may be aged, in which case you are providing a comfortable exit. You might want to set up a fan for him during the hottest part of the day.

Either way, best wishes to you and your buddy.

 

[LOVE2FARM]

Thanks, I have fed eggs with some molasses. I will try these foods for him, I did give him strawberries, but he didn't seem interested and he usually eats them.
I did find lice, I was checking him over when he first started with symptoms and when I put him down I had what I think was a louse on my arm. I treated for that and he did perk up for a few days. I did do my turkeys at the same time, just to be sure. I did find very small bugs (pinhead size) that ran on my toms head when I dusted. We purchased him in February as an adult.

Thanks
Karen