What can I do?

[blackacres]

Found my almost year old Serama roo lying on his side in his cage when I got home Sunday evening. I picked him and he didn’t fight me at all. Usually it’s a struggle to get him out of the cage. Brought him inside, cleaned his nares (no discharge, but there was some food debris) and then wrapped him in a blanket. Fed him scrambled egg and syringed water with electrolytes. He laid in my lap for hours. He did perk up after the egg and water but still can’t stand. If I stand him up, he falls over and just lays there. He’s getting nutridrench and more egg daily and he’s drinking on his own. He’s been alert the whole time and is still crowing, though not as much. He still cannot stand on his own. He can move his legs and feet, and will stand if I hold him up but falls over about 5 seconds after I let go of him. He has no injuries and was only in with a hen and their two chicks.

When his lady went broody, he mostly started sitting with her for long periods of time each day. One day he got up while I was out there and was wobbly and kept falling over. I gave him some electrolytes and he seemed completely normal the next day and up until Sunday. That incident was 3 to 4 weeks ago. I did notice and treat mites right at that time. Treated with Elector PSP and no signs of them now.

Comb and wattles are nice and bright red. No swelling or lumps anywhere that I can see or feel. Ears are clear. No discharge. He is losing weight. Any ideas?

 

[maryn7]

Hey, I would think about posting this in the Emergencies forum since it is time-sensitive. Good luck with your buddy.

 

[blackacres]

Hey, I would think about posting this in the Emergencies forum since it is time-sensitive. Good luck with your buddy.

I did that hours before posting here. One reply with no ideas. Just wanted to broaden my reach. Thank you!

 

[Sally PB]

@azygous, do you have any ideas on this?

 

[maryn7]

I did that hours before posting here. One reply with no ideas. Just wanted to broaden my reach. Thank you!

Ah gotcha. Smart! Good luck - it's not a condition I'm familiar with, so don't have advice to share. But you've made him comfy and given him protein and water. Hoping he perks up for you.

 

[azygous]

This is an idiopathic condition. That's a fancy medical term for "we don't have a clue what it is". So, what we can do is try to treat the symptoms and see if anything sticks.

The first thing to try is sugar water with electrolytes. You've already done that, but you can add more sugar to the water mixture. This elevates his glucose and can give him strength overall.

The next thing to try is vitamin E given with egg in case he has something neurological going on. Add vitamins B-2, 6, and 12, more easily done with a B-complex tablet to help restore and strengthen nerve connections. Give the E capsule and B-complex tablet directly into his beak each day until after you see improvement, then continue for a while longer.

 

[micstrachan]

I’m sorry about your rooster. His comb looks a bit bluish in the photo to me. Is there any fluid swelling in his abdomen? What dies his usual diet consist of, and why does he live in a cage?

 

[blackacres]

This is an idiopathic condition. That's a fancy medical term for "we don't have a clue what it is". So, what we can do is try to treat the symptoms and see if anything sticks.

The first thing to try is sugar water with electrolytes. You've already done that, but you can add more sugar to the water mixture. This elevates his glucose and can give him strength overall.

The next thing to try is vitamin E given with egg in case he has something neurological going on. Add vitamins B-2, 6, and 12, more easily done with a B-complex tablet to help restore and strengthen nerve connections. Give the E capsule and B-complex tablet directly into his beak each day until after you see improvement, then continue for a while longer.

Excellent advice. I have all of that on hand and will get it started. Thank you!

 

[blackacres]

I’m sorry about your rooster. His comb looks a bit bluish in the photo to me. Is there any fluid swelling in his abdomen? What dies his usual diet consist of, and why does he live in a cage?

It was slightly blue when that photo was taken. He was cold and that was shortly after I found him. His diet is Purina Flock Raiser with Fertrells breeder supplement added to make it nutritionally balanced for his breed. I actually worked with a poultry nutritionist to form their diet. Occasional meal worms when we’re show training. He was in a large cage because he was paired for breeding and threw a fit when separated from his beloved hen. Serama are not large fowl and they’re the smallest bantam, typically under 2 pounds and less than 10 inches tall.

 

[Earthdale]

I had a bantam rooster like that, I hope yours does well.