Honestly, I'm not sure. One leg is weaker than the other and from experience, I know a bad leg injury can go on a very long time. I don't see any symptoms other than his comb flopping over and weakness, plus his intense objection to being handled now. Zane's comb also flopped before gave him strong antibiotics on the advice of Dr. Peter Brown, who used to help a lot of folks here. He said a soft tissue injury can develop infection and it was swollen and full of fluid, that joint. It's harder to see on Bodie, being feather legged and because he does not want to be picked up and flails like a crazy boy when you try. If he does recover, I'm fine with giving him a pen of his own, but I haven't had the energy to really deal with him more than the very basic supportive care.
Surely could be a heart issue. When I first noticed something was off, it was back in October. He'd not come in with the flock from free ranging, which was odd being the head rooster. And he sat down a lot as well, away from the flock in the pen. When I would try to pick him up because he was literally dragging his feet walking back the slight incline toward the barn, he'd freak out in protest. Anyway, we'll just play it by ear and see how it goes. He seems to have no desire to go back with the flock at the moment. And he has only crowed that one good day he had, not since. I can't tell you how much I hate mysteries!
Thanks, Lisa. I think that non-hatchery birds will change that. They've always served me well in the past. Atlas lived to 9 years old, the oldest ever (so far) large fowl rooster I've ever had. That little goofball Porcelain Belgian D'Anver, Aubrey, made it to 11, but it's like a chihuahua vs a Great Dane's lifespan. Of course, Atlas's daughters out of Stukel stock (he's 3/4 Stukel line) are 9 years old, never had any laying issues or crop issues in their lives. Bash is challenging Atlas by being not far from 9 years old himself at this point. There is a definite distinction, at least in all the ones I've raised over 20 + years, between hatchery and good breeder stock in longevity as well as overall health. There was a great difference in these hatchery EEs vs my breeder-produced June. Her breeder was trying to create a new Ameraucana color so she was good stock, lived to well over 14 years old and produced eggs until she was about 12, not too shabby.
Yes, my experience as well. My black Ameraucana, Gypsy, lived to be 10 years old and the splash Ameraucanca lived to be 14 years old. Both were from show stock out of Washington State. I don't think the one who bred mine is doing it anymore, though. They went to breeding dogs, cannot remember the breed or even the breeder now after all these years. Might if I heard the name.
