Hey, everybody. Well, I'm just having a grand time with my birds right now.
I now have a cockerel who is four-five months old and is in really bad shape. I noticed his comb was looking a little pale lately, but he seemed just fine otherwise and I didn't really think anything of it. He was in a cage with two other cockerels who he grew up with and gets along with, and I thought maybe his comb was paler because he was with other roos and they were dominant. Maybe that's silly, but I've seen hens grow spurs and try to crow when there are no roos around, so I figured maybe submissive roos who are around dominant roos start seeming a little, well, hen-ish. So I didn't worry about the pale comb. I feel so stupid now.
I went in for feeding a few days later and found him all huddled, feathers all ruffled, and tail down. I felt him and he felt too thin. I quarantined him, put a heater on him, dusted him with DE because I found mites on him, and gave him plenty of Start & Grow and water with ACV. He was eating and drinking really well, so I felt a little better. But a couple of days later, even with this support and his good appetite, he is rapidly losing weight. He is just skin and bones, and paler even than a young pullet should be, let alone a little roo. At this point, I am thinking worms. I haven't seen any in his poo (which is a little too watery, though, I think), and of course I am reluctant to try a wormer on an already weak and rapidly declining bird if I am not sure that's what he has. I've never wormed a bird before, so I really want to make sure I know what I'm doing.
I know I have to do something, or he's not going to make it. So -- I have some Wazine 17 on hand, but I know it is very specific in what it treats and which I hear is not too effective sometimes. On the other hand, I can wait until tomorrow and pick up some Ivermectine, which I know is more broad spectrum, but which I hear is also harsher on the bird's system.
If anybody could give me some advice at this point, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!
I now have a cockerel who is four-five months old and is in really bad shape. I noticed his comb was looking a little pale lately, but he seemed just fine otherwise and I didn't really think anything of it. He was in a cage with two other cockerels who he grew up with and gets along with, and I thought maybe his comb was paler because he was with other roos and they were dominant. Maybe that's silly, but I've seen hens grow spurs and try to crow when there are no roos around, so I figured maybe submissive roos who are around dominant roos start seeming a little, well, hen-ish. So I didn't worry about the pale comb. I feel so stupid now.
I went in for feeding a few days later and found him all huddled, feathers all ruffled, and tail down. I felt him and he felt too thin. I quarantined him, put a heater on him, dusted him with DE because I found mites on him, and gave him plenty of Start & Grow and water with ACV. He was eating and drinking really well, so I felt a little better. But a couple of days later, even with this support and his good appetite, he is rapidly losing weight. He is just skin and bones, and paler even than a young pullet should be, let alone a little roo. At this point, I am thinking worms. I haven't seen any in his poo (which is a little too watery, though, I think), and of course I am reluctant to try a wormer on an already weak and rapidly declining bird if I am not sure that's what he has. I've never wormed a bird before, so I really want to make sure I know what I'm doing.
I know I have to do something, or he's not going to make it. So -- I have some Wazine 17 on hand, but I know it is very specific in what it treats and which I hear is not too effective sometimes. On the other hand, I can wait until tomorrow and pick up some Ivermectine, which I know is more broad spectrum, but which I hear is also harsher on the bird's system.
If anybody could give me some advice at this point, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!
