Emergency, rooster being low

[KristinaM]

Hi, I seem to have a problem with my rooster. He has watery poop, he’s very slow, he looks very pale, feathers look bad, his stomach is full and hard all the time. It seems almost like he can’t digest food. We’re feeding him the usual stuff, corn, lettuce, some watermelon which he loves, etc. We tried with vitamins, anti-parasitics, antibiotics… I do have a problem with mites and lice that I’m currently solving with products that contain permetrin and are safe for chickens, but that doesn’t seem like a cause for his weakness. If anyone can give me some advice and help me somehow, I would be grateful
Also he has lost some weight, he’s very boney right now :/

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hi, I seem to have a problem with my rooster. He has watery poop, he’s very slow, he looks very pale, feathers look bad, his stomach is full and hard all the time. It seems almost like he can’t digest food. We’re feeding him the usual stuff, corn, lettuce, some watermelon which he loves, etc. We tried with vitamins, anti-parasitics, antibiotics… I do have a problem with mites and lice that I’m currently solving with products that contain permetrin and are safe for chickens, but that doesn’t seem like a cause for his weakness. If anyone can give me some advice and help me somehow, I would be grateful
Also he has lost some weight, he’s very boney right now :/

That diet isn't good for chickens. He should be eating chicken feed.

Chickens don't have stomachs. If his crop is full, & hard all the time, it could be impacted.
You can test that theory by checking it early in the morning before he eats anything.

 

[KristinaM]

That diet isn't good for chickens. He should be eating chicken feed.

Chickens don't have stomachs. If his crop is full, & hard all the time, it could be impacted.
You can test that theory by checking it early in the morning before he eats anything.

He is getting chicken feed with crumbled corn, i have mashed feed, crumbled feed and pellets and that is the main thing they eat, but they also sometimes get fruits, vegetables and other grains… Sorry I didn’t specify correctly.

 

[MysteryChicken]

He is getting chicken feed with crumbled corn, i have mashed feed, crumbled feed and pellets and that is the main thing they eat, but they also sometimes get fruits, vegetables and other grains… Sorry I didn’t specify correctly.

Corn mixed in feed dilutes it, it adds more fat to the diet.

How often is sometimes?

 

[KristinaM]

Corn mixed in feed dilutes it, it adds more fat to the diet.

How often is sometimes?

Every two-three days, but I give it more like a snack, they have corn/feed available all day every day, I take care that the water is always fresh, also fruits and vegetables are from my garden so no pesticides, but I still wash them before giving it to them. But I don’t see how would that affect him in that way…

 

[MysteryChicken]

Every two-three days, but I give it more like a snack, they have corn/feed available all day every day, I take care that the water is always fresh, also fruits and vegetables are from my garden so no pesticides, but I still wash them before giving it to them. But I don’t see how would that affect him in that way…

All the extras are treats & should be limited to about once, or twice a week.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

With all of that corn he most likely has a good layer of fat wrapping around all of his organs. Added corn is used in livestock (including poultry) to add fat to the carcass. Which can be fine if you are raising meat birds, but if you are not it can lead to fatty liver syndrome. Symptoms are: pale comb, pale wattles, sitting fluffed up, lethargic, enlarged hard abdomen (fat build up), runny wet droppings.

 

[KristinaM]

With all of that corn he most likely has a good layer of fat wrapping around all of his organs. Added corn is used in livestock (including poultry) to add fat to the carcass. Which can be fine if you are raising meat birds, but if you are not it can lead to fatty liver syndrome. Symptoms are: pale comb, pale wattles, sitting fluffed up, lethargic, enlarged hard abdomen (fat build up), runny wet droppings.

Okay, noted. So I just stop giving them corn? Is there any way I can boost him a little bit? I’m surely doing something wrong because we had chickens years ago and everything was fine, no ill chickens, but this and last year…its pure chaos. We lost 7 chickens in a year…and today when I was letting them out I noticed another one being alone in a corner, also pale comb, head down…so i took her in the house..yesterday she was perfectly normal…I’m desperate…I don’t think I have one perfectly healthy chickens and I feel like I’m trying really hard to keep them healthy and happy…

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Are you providing crushed granite grit for digestion? It should be available at all times for them to help themselves. Without it they can die, actually starve to death even though they have plenty to eat .

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I also agree with the other posters about the feed and treats. Remove everything except the commercial feed until everyone is healthy, especially the corn. The feed is complete, balanced nutrition. They do not need anything else. The more they fill up on other foods, treats and snacks, the less complete and balanced their diet is. It is just as if you let a child fill up on cake and ice cream instead of good healthy food. If you must give snacks, let it be a tiny amount, like a tablespoon per chicken per day, but no more.