Sick rooster

[nightowl223]

I will tomorrow definantly, and yes my husband just got this other rooster a week ago and he is now showing the same signs as my bantam did. They aren’t housed together but before the new rooster came my bantam was in the big coop with the bigger hens. My husband noticed this morning his is now sleeping on the floor of the coop and napping in the yard and not crowing which is how my bantam started. The food we keep in a building inside of a tote where it’s dry but it is a mix of scratch feed and laying mesh pellets (I was going off what my father in law swore we needed)

That's an awfully low protein level if you're cutting the layer mix in half with scratch. Scratch mix is more just like snacks for them, not really very nutritious. I would move to All Flock, at minimum, and add calcium as desired in a second container for the hens, as the All Flock doesn't have the layer calcium in it. Calcium is hard on the males' systems, as they don't constantly use it like the hens do through egg production. That's why I suggest All Flock for males.

Yeah, in the past, some people only fed their chickens cracked corn, too, and their chickens didn't live as long or produce as many eggs as the healthier ones do now. Times change, we learn better ways.

 

[Sruff0429]

That's an awfully low protein level if you're cutting the layer mix in half with scratch. Scratch mix is more just like snacks for them, not really very nutritious. I would move to All Flock, at minimum, and add calcium as desired in a second container for the hens, as the All Flock doesn't have the layer calcium in it. Calcium is hard on the males' systems, as they don't constantly use it like the hens do through egg production. That's why I suggest All Flock for males.

Yeah, in the past, some people only fed their chickens cracked corn, too, and their chickens didn't live as long or produce as many eggs as the healthier ones do now. Times change, we learn better ways.

That’s what I was thinking because he kept saying they will only live 3 years and die but I’ve read they live a lot longer idk about my particular breed but it didn’t seem right

 

[nightowl223]

Thank you so much I have been so worried about him he is my first chicken to ever really own I was terrified of birds but I’m so attached to him

They do find their way into your heart, that's for sure! I have 4 nearly adult pairs of the very same breed your little fella is, in fact.

I will warn you, though, that you will have losses. Maybe not this time, and maybe not for years, but it will happen. It's just part of having chickens. It's very hard, and it's heartbreaking, but those of us who keep them year after year believe it's worth the heartbreak to have them in our lives.

 

[nightowl223]

That’s what I was thinking because he kept saying they will only live 3 years and die but I’ve read they live a lot longer idk about my particular breed but it didn’t seem right

Some breeds can live for 10 years or more! In fact, a specific kind that almost never lives over a year, the crossbreed Cornish Cross that are the big ones you see in the meat department, I had two hens of that breed that I managed to get to live to 3 and 4 years, respectively - control the amount of their feed, and give them extra exercise, and they won't eat themselves to death like they would if left to their own. So It's easy enough to get them to live several years, if you feed them and care for them properly.

 

[Sruff0429]

They do find their way into your heart, that's for sure! I have 4 nearly adult pairs of the very same breed your little fella is, in fact.

I will warn you, though, that you will have losses. Maybe not this time, and maybe not for years, but it will happen. It's just part of having chickens. It's very hard, and it's heartbreaking, but those of us who keep them year after year believe it's worth the heartbreak to have them in our lives.

Yea we had this problem with my daughters rooster but his was way different he had a runny nose and all and he ended up dying from it and it was sad. I want a full size of my guy because we have a Welsummer partridge that my husband wants to breed with.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

just got this other rooster a week ago and he is now showing the same signs as my bantam did.

before the new rooster came my bantam was in the big coop with the bigger hens. My husband noticed this morning his is now sleeping on the floor of the coop and napping in the yard and not crowing which is how my bantam started. The food we keep in a building inside of a tote where it’s dry but it is a mix of scratch feed and laying mesh pellets

Photos of that poop would be helpful.

I would check both their crops first thing in the morning before they eat/drink.
Do you provide any poultry grit for them (crushed granite)?
How old is that new rooster? What breed is he?
New birds on the yard, Coccidiosis comes to mind.

This is what I would do, If that new rooster is on the floor now, I would go give him some warmed sugar water. I don't think I would wait until morning. See if you can get him hydrated. If you have some poultry vitamins like poultry nutri-drench or poultry cell give him a direct dose of 1cc.
Check him for lice/mites while your at it.

Everyone feeds differently. Personally I would not mix scratch with feed at all. Layer feed, imho, is for laying hens, but a lot of people feed it to roosters and have no problems. Depends on the age of the rooster if he can tolerate laying pellets which contain a lot of calcium.
I would give both roosters some cooked egg and wet layer pellets since that's what you have, take out the scratch, that reduces the amount of protein in your feed.

Re-check that feed to see if it's spoiled or molded. If the hens aren't having problems, then likely that's not it.

It's good that the penicillin is helping. But I would consider getting some Corid and treating both roosters for Coccidiosis.

 

[Sruff0429]

Photos of that poop would be helpful.

I would check both their crops first thing in the morning before they eat/drink.
Do you provide any poultry grit for them (crushed granite)?
How old is that new rooster? What breed is he?
New birds on the yard, Coccidiosis comes to mind.

This is what I would do, If that new rooster is on the floor now, I would go give him some warmed sugar water. I don't think I would wait until morning. See if you can get him hydrated. If you have some poultry vitamins like poultry nutri-drench or poultry cell give him a direct dose of 1cc.
Check him for lice/mites while your at it.

Everyone feeds differently. Personally I would not mix scratch with feed at all. Layer feed, imho, is for laying hens, but a lot of people feed it to roosters and have no problems. Depends on the age of the rooster if he can tolerate laying pellets which contain a lot of calcium.
I would give both roosters some cooked egg and wet layer pellets since that's what you have, take out the scratch, that reduces the amount of protein in your feed.

Re-check that feed to see if it's spoiled or molded. If the hens aren't having problems, then likely that's not it.

It's good that the penicillin is helping. But I would consider getting some Corid and treating both roosters for Coccidiosis.

I did some reading and I was thinking coccidiosis, the new rooster we don’t know much about him he’s about a year old and we’re thinking he’s a Rhode Island his comb hasn’t changed colors just yet but he’s starting to want to lay around and sleep just like my bantam which is why I’m concerned. What is corrid also what type of feeds would you suggest

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yea we had this problem with my daughters rooster but his was way different he had a runny nose and all and he ended up dying from it and it was sad

I did some reading and I was thinking coccidiosis, the new rooster we don’t know much about him he’s about a year old and we’re thinking he’s a Rhode Island his comb hasn’t changed colors just yet but he’s starting to want to lay around and sleep just like my bantam which is why I’m concerned. What is corrid also what type of feeds would you suggest

You mention your daughter had a rooster that died from what sounds like respiratory illness? How long ago was that?

Corid (Amprolium) is a Coccidiostat that will help inhibit the growth of Coccidia so a chicken can build resistance. New birds often encounter a different strain and can have some trouble. You can find Corid at feed stores like Tractor Supply in the cattle section. Dosage is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water. Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.

Personally I use a flock raiser or all flock feed, 18-20% protein. Provide oyster shell free choice for your hens.

 

[Sruff0429]

It was probably 2 months ago now we had my bantam then what threw me off was it has just been the roosters to be sick none of my hens are getting sick, and his was something respiratory he sounded horrible and had green and yellow coming from his nose

 

[nightowl223]

You mention your daughter had a rooster that died from what sounds like respiratory illness? How long ago was that?

Corid (Amprolium) is a Coccidiostat that will help inhibit the growth of Coccidia so a chicken can build resistance. New birds often encounter a different strain and can have some trouble. You can find Corid at feed stores like Tractor Supply in the cattle section. Dosage is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water. Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.

Personally I use a flock raiser or all flock feed, 18-20% protein. Provide oyster shell free choice for your hens.




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I second the All Flock and free choice oyster shell (though you can crush and bake eggshells to offer them, instead), and the full 7 day dosage of Corid. I completely agree.