Your rooster brought back memories of a favorite roo I had many years ago. Penrod, a Buff Brahma. It was before I realized I had lymphoid leucosis in my flock. My rooster suddenly began to go lame. I thought it was an injury, but it kept getting worse. He quit eating and became weak. This was before I had come to have any real experience with chickens, and I didn't know all that I could have done for him regardless of the cause of the lameness. I decided the time had come to euthanize him.
He had been inside so I could care for him and he hadn't seen his hens in a long time. I brought him outside where the hens were scratching in the dirt. He immediately came to life and tried so hard to stand up and go to the hens, but he was too weak. At the time, I didn't know that he probably was suffering nerve damage from the virus because I didn't know about the virus. Whatever the actual cause of his affliction, returning him sooner to the flock may have prolonged his life.
The reunion was heart warming. It taught me one of the first lessons I was to learn about keeping chickens - keep them all together if at all possible. Separate a chicken only when absolutely necessary.
He had been inside so I could care for him and he hadn't seen his hens in a long time. I brought him outside where the hens were scratching in the dirt. He immediately came to life and tried so hard to stand up and go to the hens, but he was too weak. At the time, I didn't know that he probably was suffering nerve damage from the virus because I didn't know about the virus. Whatever the actual cause of his affliction, returning him sooner to the flock may have prolonged his life.
The reunion was heart warming. It taught me one of the first lessons I was to learn about keeping chickens - keep them all together if at all possible. Separate a chicken only when absolutely necessary.