your bird might have several things going on...has he had access to feed other than the layer for the hens? Lyer formulation is only meant for LAYING birds...it is too much calcium for younger birds not in lay or for roosters. If this is the case you need to separate ole henry and give him an alternative feed because layer (excess calcium) is known to cause GOUT which could very well be what is ailing your poor Henry. Here is some info for you on it:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/204606.htm&word=gout
http://www.hy-line.com/userdocs/library/0_Avian Urolithiasis Eng.pdf
http://www.vetcareindia.com/aviangout_bull.htm
(Includes a great chart on how to differentiate between articulr and visceral form of gout)
http://www.wattnet.com/Archives/Docs/KIDNEY.PDF?CFID=25710&CFTOKEN=74030876
Kidney Lesions in Poultry Diseases
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/pdf_files/ahp/nefro003.pdf
Therapeutic Efficacy of Nefrotec Liquid Against Renal or Visceral Gout in Broiler Chickens - A Field Report
(excerpt) ..."The incidence of gout in broiler birds has been speculatively blamed on the high protein levels in diets. Gout in birds can be in two forms, visceral gout and articular gout. Visceral gout is the most common form in poultry, wherein the plasma uric acid levels are high and urates are deposited in the visceral organs. Sillers (1959) suggested that this form of gout is the result of physiological changes in the kidneys, which affect the kidney functions in general. Visceral gout was experimentally induced in chickens by feeding diets deficient in vitamin A (Elvehjem and Neu, 1932), and with diets containing excess calcium (Shane, 1969). Articular gout is characterized by the accumulation of urates in the synovial capsule and tendon sheath of a joint. It has been experimentally produced in chicks genetically prone to this disease, fed with high protein (80%) diets (Peterson et al., 1971). Researchers have
demonstrated that the incidence of articular gout is highly influenced by heredity. Both visceral and articular gout in birds are associated with elevated plasma uric acid. However, according to Schlumberger (1969), these two conditions are separate entities and do not occur
together. Uric acid is the main end product of nitrogen metabolism in birds, accounting for approximately 80% of the nitrogen excreted (O'Dell et al., 1960). Thus, uric acid content in blood should be influenced by dietary protein, protein quality, protein metabolism and
nutritional state.
Several predisposing factors may be involved in urate deposition. These includes:
1) Nutritional causes viz., vitamin-A deficiency, water deprivation, excess of sodium bicarbonate, calcium and protein, poor quality mineral mixture and adulteration of
protein supplements with urea;
2) Infectious causes viz., infectious bronchitis virus and avian nephritis virus;
3)Toxic causes viz., antibiotics, mycotoxins, minerals, vitamins, chemicals and pesticides, which can increase uric acid levels in the blood and lead to precipitation in the tissues and impair renal function"
http://www3.sympatico.ca/davehansen/gout.html
(not specific to poultry but same principles apply in general)
http://www.2ndchance.info/gout.htm
(excerpt)
"Allopurinol (Zyloprim) is used to treat gout in birds and humans. This drug inhibits purine catabolism, which prevents the production of uric acid. A 100 mg tablet is crushed in 10 ml of water. Add up to 1ml of this diluted suspension to 30ml of drinking water. Change the water twice a day. This will hopefully lower the concentration of uric acid within the birds body and help prevent more crystals from forming. Try to keep the bird lean and not fat. Excess weight puts added strain on inflamed tendons and joints. Blood Uric acid levels need to be monitored periodically to determine if theallopurinol is working. If allopurinol is not effective, two other medications called Colchicine and Probenecid can be tried. The effective and the safe doses of all three medications are still in question. A technique called allometric scaling, developed by Dr. Sedgwick, can be used to approximate the dose"
