year old rooster collapses

[faithfarm92]

My year old rooster can't walk for long before he just flops down. He is eating fine but I have to put the food right next to him. He gets up, hobbles around for a few steps then collapses again. He almost acts like his hip hurts him, but that could just be me. Any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you check him for swelling of the leg and toes, and the joints? Jumping from high roosts and horseplay can cause sprains and broken bones. I would place him in a crate or pen with food and water, where he can still be with his flock. Put some poultry vitamins or Nutri-Drench in his water, or give him 2-3 ml orally every day. Can you tell if he is walking on his hocks or elbows, or if his toes curl under?

 

[faithfarm92]

I thought his legs and feet looked ok but will check him again in the morning. I put him in a big tote with straw in the coop. He ate and drank really well today. He usually sleeps in the coop's rafters.we were wondering if he got hurt jumping down. Or if he got in a fight with the other rooster. I know they had to have fought some because his comb was bloody. Could another rooster hurt him so bad so as to cause him to not be able to walk? Thank you for your help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Roosters can be prone to leg injuries, and high roosts or trying to get away from other roosters could have caused the injury. It can take 3 weeks or longer for a broken bone to heal, and a sprain just as long. Sprains are more common, and the higher up in the leg or hip, the harder to heal, at least what I have read from others on here. It would be good to put him in a wire crate or similar so that he is still a part of the flock or he may be attacked and killed by the other roosters when you bring him back after an absence. I have found that once the roosters are gone for a few days, the others treat him like he is the enemy. Let us know how he gets along or if he shows any new symptoms.

 

[faithfarm92]

The crate is a great idea! Thanks!

 

[faithfarm92]

I'm sorry to report that when I went to set the wire crate up in the coop, I found Chuck, Jr. (the rooster) dead.

Thank you for your help. Because of what you told me, I'm going to put lots of straw in the coop and place several bales around the coop so they have a soft landing. I just hope he didn't die from Maerks.(sp?)

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you place his body in a garbage bag in the refrigerator, not freezer, and contact your state vet for a necropsy? The body can be shipped or delivered. I will give you a link in a few minutes for the state vet. Sorry that you lost him. I didn't mention Mareks since leg injuries are so common. But I would be suspicious now that he has died.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are the links to state vets, how to ship, and some other poultry labs that may do them:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

 

[faithfarm92]

It's too late. He's been outside all day awaiting my husband's arrival so we can bury him. For future reference, what is the purpose and what is the cost? I'm not familiar with this. Again, thank u for all your help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Since Mareks causes tumors on nerves and on organs all over the organs, vets can do a chicken autopsy to look for those. They can tell you what the cause of death was, if it was a disease. They can say if it was possibly Mareks, and there is a test they can later do if you want it to positively identify it. To know if it was Mareks can then let you know that your chickens will all be carriers, and that any new chicks should be vaccinated and kept away from any dust or dander from the coop until they are 3 weeks old to be immune. Some states don't charge for the necropsy while most charge some fee. If you see any others with lameness or loss of balance, I would be suspicious. There is a great article by Nambroth that you can read by doing a search at the top of this page called "The Great Big Giant Mareks Faq."