Limping and Sudden Lethargy in my Rooster

[alyssahintz]

For a little backstory, I have 10 hens and 1 rooster that are roughly 6 months old. They have a large sand run and we have a large fenced in yard that they roam around in for at least a few hours a day, if not all day if we are home. They are fed scratch and peck grower feed and quite a bit of table/garden scraps.

4 days ago now, I noticed a slight limp in my 6 rooster. He has been mating quite a bit with the hens and just assumed he “pulled a muscle”.

3 days ago his limp was a bit worse. I managed to catch him to make sure he didn’t have bumblefoot or any other injuries. No injuries noted.

Yesterday he became very lethargic and stopped eating and drinking. Yesterday afternoon, I gave him an epsom bath to hopefully aid in the pain. And managed to get him to eat alittle watermelon and some mealworms (his favorite). I also read to give him a bit of children’s ibuprofen. By nightfall he was still very lethargic so I gave him another dose of children’s ibuprofen. And also gave him some water mixed with nutri-drench from an eye dropper because I haven’t seen him drink water all day. I ended up picking him up and placing him in the coop for the night.

This morning seems even worse and he is just laying on the coop floor. All of the hens seem to be doing completely fine. It is very hot here in Colorado with highs in the 90s, which I am sure isn’t helping.

Does anyone have any idea on what may be going on? Any remedies? I really cannot afford to bring him to the vet, but it pains me to see him suffer.

 

[GodLovesU]

Did he possibly have a stroke or heart attack?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your cockerel. Was he vaccinated for Mareks disease? That is something that can show up around this age, although I would first try to rule out an injury or vitamin deficiency.Stop the ibuprofen. Aspirin could be used, but just give 1/2 of an 81 mg tablet once or twice daily. Stop after 2-3 days.

I would try giving him 1/2 tablet daily of human vitamin B complex in case of a riboflavin deficiency. Does he have any swelling of the leg, scabs or cut on his foot pad, or green bruising?

 

[alyssahintz]

Did he possibly have a stroke or heart attack?

Sorry about your cockerel. Was he vaccinated for Mareks disease? That is something that can show up around this age, although I would first try to rule out an injury or vitamin deficiency.Stop the ibuprofen. Aspirin could be used, but just give 1/2 of an 81 mg tablet once or twice daily. Stop after 2-3 days.

I would try giving him 1/2 tablet daily of human vitamin B complex in case of a riboflavin deficiency. Does he have any swelling of the leg, scabs or cut on his foot pad, or green bruising?

They were not vaccinated for Mareks. Reading up on it, the symptoms of neurological seem to line up. I just don’t know where it would have come from because they haven’t been exposed to any other birds, since being a few days old when I got them. I will try the aspirin instead of the ibuprofen. He has no external wounds or bruising. And the limp has gotten progressively worse. He is moving minimally now. I feed them high quality feed and plenty of scraps. It was very sudden so I wouldn’t think it’s a vitamin deficiency of any kind.

 

[alyssahintz]

It may be possible that he had a heart attack or stroke. What symptoms does that present?

 

[GodLovesU]

My rooster had one of those two and he kinda limped,was lethargic,wouldn’t perch or crow,and progressively got worse for two weeks until he died.