I posted about this bird in the Meat Birds Etc. section, a thread titled "Would you eat this chicken?", I hope it's all right to ask here too.
This is a 24-week-old cross-bred Barred Rock roo who has been penned with other young mixed-breed roos in the meat pen and also allowed to free-range during the day. I've noticed for the past few weeks he's been acting rather lethargic, sitting & dozing in the shade when others are running around. Last week I moved these roos to more confined quarters in preparation for D-day and noticed this roo lying across the roost nodding off to sleep in the middle of the day. When I lifted him to carry him to the hospital pen I noticed he is quite light in weight, with a rather sharp keel bone, although he had a fairly full crop.
He doesn't have mites or lice. He's not pooping much & what he is producing doesn't look bad. The only thing I noticed upon close examination is a small bit of thread-y mucus on the feathers below his vent, like snot from a sneeze.
If it's an ailment easily cured it would be worth it to treat him for later consumption. But I don't want to butcher him if he's diseased, has been heavily medicated, or just scrawny. Please let me know what you think. Thank you.
This is a 24-week-old cross-bred Barred Rock roo who has been penned with other young mixed-breed roos in the meat pen and also allowed to free-range during the day. I've noticed for the past few weeks he's been acting rather lethargic, sitting & dozing in the shade when others are running around. Last week I moved these roos to more confined quarters in preparation for D-day and noticed this roo lying across the roost nodding off to sleep in the middle of the day. When I lifted him to carry him to the hospital pen I noticed he is quite light in weight, with a rather sharp keel bone, although he had a fairly full crop.
He doesn't have mites or lice. He's not pooping much & what he is producing doesn't look bad. The only thing I noticed upon close examination is a small bit of thread-y mucus on the feathers below his vent, like snot from a sneeze.
If it's an ailment easily cured it would be worth it to treat him for later consumption. But I don't want to butcher him if he's diseased, has been heavily medicated, or just scrawny. Please let me know what you think. Thank you.