The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[speckledhen]

I learned my first year of having roosters, don't use a metal feeder in winter. One of my males drank water, then went to eat and his wattles stuck to the feeder. I found him with bloody wattles. Ever since then, I change out the feeder to plastic in winter.

I'm sorry Rex isn't doing well. Good luck with him.

How awful! We haven't used metal waterers in years, all are plastic. If this is the beginning of pneumonia, it's highly treatable. Glad I caught it immediately.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

You're sweet. I am going to continue treating it as if it is pneumonia because that's the only thing that really makes sense, considering his crow and general lethargy. Ladyhawk reminded me of how they get their big old wattles in the water tray and water runs down their chests. In this frigid weather, that could do it, certainly. The hens don't do that, so they have less chance of contracting pneumonia that way. She also said when her rooster, Lancelot, had pneumonia as an older chick (got drenched to the skin in a sudden rainstorm and was trapped so he couldn't get to shelter), he didn't start wheezing until about three days afterward. The pullet with him was a daughter of Suede's she'd brought back from here and they both were treated by a vet for pneumonia. To this day, Lancelot tends to have respiratory relapses in bad weather like they, and we, are having right now.

I forgot one bird I had to treat for beginning stages of pneumonia-my crippled rooster, Zane! Zane laid on his chest constantly. Once, he'd gotten some bedding around his waterer especially wet and it slipped by me. He began to sound a little ragged so I treated him for pneumonia, and of course, cleaned out his cage. He couldn't stand up to get out of the dampness. I always felt he might get pneumonia simply because of that fact, like any bedridden person might. It was the only time, other than the bad hock infection that helped to cripple him, that he was ever remotely ill in his 4 1/2 yrs of life.

That does make sense that their wattles would make for more water splattered on their chests. I hope Rex is feeling better tomorrow.

 

[speckledhen]

That does make sense that their wattles would make for more water splattered on their chests. I hope Rex is feeling better tomorrow.

Isaac is a very messy drinker. He makes a puddle in the shavings in a particular spot and I'm always grabbing a handful and throwing the wet shavings out the door. It's a wonder he doesn't have pneumonia, too, but his crow sounds strong.

Rex had 3/4 cc of Tylan today and he'll have 1/2-3/4 tomorrow, then will go down to the normal 1/2 cc another day or two. If I have to, I can bring him inside and use a cool mist vaporizer with Oxine-laced water on him for about 10 minutes to clean out his bronchial passages.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
The waterer was plastic, but the feeder was metal.

 

[speckledhen]

The waterer was plastic, but the feeder was metal.

oops, read that too fast. We don't use metal feeders, either, all plastic.Except maybe in one coop, I forget. I hate how metal rusts so badly. Two coops have PVC feeders, the rest have hanging plastic ones of various sizes, but I do remember that Rex's still has the old metal one. Have to replace that one, too, considering this story.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope the Tylan works on him - I've had pneumonia years ago and it really wipes you out - I lost 10 lbs. But then I was slim enough for people to notice. Not anymore.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hope the big boy feels better.

 

[speckledhen]

About to go give him his second dose of meds. He didn't crow at all this morning, parked under the heat lamp. DH went out to see if he was even still with us, poor sweet Rexie-poo. Been giving them all scrambled egg concoction containing lots of minced garlic, turmeric, red pepper with some olive oil and yogurt (even some chopped turkey liver when I had it) for the last three days and he's been eating it. It did it mostly for Rita at first, not even knowing he had issues starting up.



ETA: He's not looking good and I'm still not convinced it's pneumonia. He isn't wheezing or gasping or anything respiratory, just very tired. He did not crow today at all. He refused to eat all day. I'm afraid I'm losing Rex and I won't know why. Much as I hate it, it is just probably something internal that I couldn't fix if I wanted to. He got another 3/4 cc of Tylan this morning prior to me trying to get him to eat. He isn't calling the girls to eat nor did he even challenge Isaac at the divider fence. In fact, he stood with his eyes closed next to Isaac on the other side of the fence and just ignored him. That is certainly a sign that he is very ill. I hate it. He's been an excellent flock rooster for the layers and is super good natured like his daddy.

I moved him into the broody pen which is underneath Deacon's cage (formerly my Zane's cage). He didn't protest being there, is drinking way too much like my dying hens always did to the point of it coming back up, but he won't eat. His hens were picking at his comb so much they had it bleeding on both sides and he didn't have the strength to resist them, but that boy went out onto the back ramp to try to do his duties as guardian, though he could barely stand up. I decided he needed to rest so he's spending the night on a thick bed of hay with his reptile bulb unmolested by nitpicking women. His color is okay, but he has lost quite a bit of weight, more than he could have from the time I noticed he was "off". They hide their conditions right up until the end, such strong animals.

Here is my sweet Rex, trying to stand guard from the ramp.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Not a good sign Cyn, I'm sorry.

 

[speckledhen]

Not a good sign Cyn, I'm sorry.

Thank you, Kelly. Heck of a way to start the year.