Sick Roster

[maz413]

1) Silkie, 2yo, not losing any right now.
2) Not eating, Lethargic, Sitting fluffed up, Wobbly when standing, tends to fall forward,
3) 3 Days
4) No
5) No signs of open wounds
6) found him hiding under some wood, I believe another rooster attacked him, no open wounds.
7) Not eating or drinking.
8) Poop look normal right now, No sign of worms or blood.
9) Treatment, Nutri-drench, Poli-vi-sol, vet-X, 1 shot LA-200 .6ml going to wait one day then one more shot, Force feeding I take pellets and soak them to a mush and feed him with a syringe and tube.
10) I will self treat if I can and use the vet as a last option
11)
12) bedding is pine shaving, he is inside now on a towel
Notes: No mites found, not breathing heavy or anything looking like a respiratory problem, Comb look OK and no color change,
Legs not kicked out or wings dropping like in meriks, I have tried egg but wont eat it but will try to mix it in, Cant find anything useful on google

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Are the pellets layer pellets? If so, has he been eating layer for the last 2 years?

Do you know for sure another rooster attacked?

 

[maz413]

He has been eating layer pellets and crumbles that's all I buy unless I have chicks. I can only assume he was attacked because I did fine some of his feathers where he was hiding, when I brought him back outside one of the roosters went after him, He was the alpha male but his offspring are twice his size now.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Silkie's can be very vulnerable to head injury when attacked. He may literally have a concussion as most birds when they attack will peck the head.

I'd keep him in ICU and watch and wait. I'm not sure you can do anything other than general life support (electrolytes, warm mash, dark, calm area) if it is head injury from the attack.

LofMc

 

[maz413]

I will do what I can, I will take him off the layer feed because I read that could affect roosters too but he's been eating it with all the other for years. his poop is still good, he just want to sit with his eyes closed. he's still not eating or drinking. Other than the 3 symptoms there is not much to go off much,

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I will do what I can, I will take him off the layer feed because I read that could affect roosters too but he's been eating it with all the other for years. his poop is still good, he just want to sit with his eyes closed. he's still not eating or drinking. Other than the 3 symptoms there is not much to go off much,

That's exactly the point.
Roosters don't lay eggs. Layer feed is for birds actively producing egg shells. 4% calcium is too much for non-egg layers.
I'm not saying definitively that is what is affecting your bird.
If it is kidney damage and visceral gout, you can't reverse the kidney damage but taking him off layer can't hurt.
Often gout causes sudden death with no symptoms but if there are symptoms, they can be depression, attempting to hide, weight loss, darkened head and shanks, white pasty diarrhea.
In commercial broiler breeder operations, males die at 4 times the rate of hens because of the diet.
If he dies, postmortem findings will be shrunken breast muscles, either both kidneys shriveled or one shriveled and the other pale and swollen, chalky white needle-like crystals in the kidneys and the surface of the liver, abdominal fat.
While you're limiting his calcium intake, provide plenty of pure water and avoid high protein diet.

 

[enola]

In Perdue broiler breeder houses the roosters are fed separately from the hens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They are beginning to, now that the research has shown the cause but it hasn't always been that way.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/2337/urolithiasis-in-male-broiler-breeders/

 

[enola]

Perdue must be way ahead in research then, because they have been doing it for 20 years.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Likely. The research was done by the University of Arkansas in 2012.
There are hundreds of companies that breed broilers.