Very sick rooster, please help!!!!!!

[chicknmania]

Joe Black, our pet rooster, has been depressed with tail down and not eating well for the past week to ten days. Short history on him, he used to be our Alpha rooster, but he had an injury and was confined to a pen for several weeks. When he recovered and went back out, he lost his status, and was unable to continue free ranging without being beaten up by the other roosters. I thought, that he was just depressed, didn't reallly think about him being sick, we have had plans to try to reintroduce him to the flock later, and he has been in the tractor in the barn for the past few weeks, and has been fine. Anyway, today at breakfast he was sitting down and there was copious greenish diarhea everywhere. I have no idea what to do for him! Anyone???

 

[casportpony]

Can you take him to a vet? If not, you should dust him for mites/lice, even if you can't see any and bring him in your house.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

I would also worm him.

 

[casportpony]

I would also worm him.

I would, too. I'd also weigh him.

 

[casportpony]

When I worm mine, I use Safeguard for Goats/Cattle (fenbendazole 100mg/ml) and give 50mg/kg ( .5cc/kg) by mouth and repeat in 10 days. From my own experience and what I've read recently, most sick birds are dehydrated and a little hypothermic. I would get him warm before worming him.

Copy/Paste from some previous replies:
http://www.avianweb.com/sickbirdcare.html
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/ampa/15.pdf
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/07_emergency_and_critical

From:http://www.avianweb.com/sickbirdcare.html

Warmth is critical. Your bird's environment should be kept at about 90 degrees. A hospital cage would be great, as it would keep the temperature at the level you want. But most people don't have that available and an acrylic bird carrier or fish tank available at pet stores can potentially be substituted. If you use one of those, you have to monitor the temperature quite carefully. This being said, putting a sick bird into a new environment may be stressful. Maybe placing the cage into a small room that can easily be heated (small bathroom, for example) might do. Drape a heavy cover on one of the sides, but make sure that the bird doesn't "sit in the dark" -- except at night. Potential heat sources can be a heating pad underneath the cage, hot bottles or heat lamps. Of course, the heat lamps shouldn't be used at night, as your pet needs to rest. Maybe a combination of heating pad at night and a heat lamp during the day might be an option. Do whatever works best for you.

From: http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/07_emergency_and_critical_care.pdf
Sick birds are often hypothermic and should be placed in heated (brooder-type) enclosures (Fig 7.7) in a quiet environment (see Chapter 1, Clinical Practice). A temperature of 85° F (29° C) with 70% humidity is desirable for most sick birds. If brooders are not equipped with a humidity source, placing a small dish of water in the enclosure will often supply adequate humidity. A moist towel that is heated and placed on the bottom of a cage or incubator rapidly humidifies the environment, as indicated by the fogging of the acrylic cage front.​

 

[casportpony]

Lots of veterinary info here:
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/chapters.html

Chapters 1-14, still searching for 15-42
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam.html

 

[chicknmania]

Thank you. I put him under a heat light today, and started him on tetracycline. I do have a hospital cage available, I will probably move him in there tonight. It's insulated and elevated and I can use a heat light if I want to , though we won't use them at night. I should mention that, yesterday, I threw a small handful of catfood in his cage. Something I never do. But the flock was begging for it when I fed the barn cat, and I thought the catfood might cheer him up and he could pretend he was sharing with the hens. Obviously, when I did that I thought he was just depressed at being confined and seeing his girls being moved in on by the other roos. Well he was happy to have the catfood (I know it's not good for them, really) and he ate it all. It was just a few pieces, but that's probalby what set off the diarhea.

 

[chicknmania]

I also have Fenbendazole, though...it's a bit rough on them when they're sick otherwise, don't you think? They probably are due for deworming..I was going to deworm the flock in February.

 

[chicknmania]

He is also wheezing. :/ I have him in the hospital cage now with heat light. Still eating well.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

It could be a respiratory problem. Treat with tylan 50 1/2 cc for 5 days.