Rooster Questions - feed, B12 deficiency, illness?

[Rick&Chris]

Hi all! Long story short ... about a month or so ago my approx 3 year old rooster had mites. I treated them and he seemed fine. Then he spent more time feeding the girls than eating himself and he lost a lot of weight (I didn't realize due to all of his feathers and I don't handle him much). I had his poop checked for parasites and all was good. I brought him in and he would ONLY eat scrambled eggs. He seemed to be doing better, so back out with the girls he went. He will NOT eat the pellets anymore, so I got crumble - which he seems to eat, but sparingly. Then out of the blue he stopped walking, his feet were curling and he was stumbling and scooting to walk (picture attached).

A vet tech suggested that he was B-12 deficient and that he shouldn't be eating the layer food (he is my 2nd rooster and I never had an issue with the feed) and to give him B12 injections IM. I started giving him B12 injections and miraculously 3 days later he's back to his old self. She told me to give him 1/2cc every day IM for 5 days. We have 3 more to go.

Sorry, that was a long story afterall.

So, my question is - what do I feed my 6 hens and rooster? Should I switch them to an all flock feed with calcium on the side? Do you think that the feed caused his issues?

Pics before and after of Clifford the Big Red Rooster attached.

Thank you ALL!!

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Wow! Yes, All Flock is appropriate for a mixed flock, with crushed oyster shell on the side for the layers. Glad he's on the mend!

 

[FunClucks]

x2 switch to all flock with calcium rocks and grit on the side.

Might consider B12 supplementation in the water for the rest of your flock for a while, just in case anyone else is having an issue - it will just pass through their system if they don't need it. Crush up human B 100 complex vitamin and add it to the water - 1 or 2 pills per gallon, or mix it crushed up in with a wet mash of their feed. It can take up to a month of regular supplementation to have a full effect, but anything you do would help if it's needed.

What layer feed were you feeding them? I'm questioning if your feed analysis (feed tag) shows you've got the correct vitamins in there. If yes, then it may just be an issue for your poor rooster. Glad he's doing better!!!

 

[Rick&Chris]

x2 switch to all flock with calcium rocks and grit on the side.

Might consider B12 supplementation in the water for the rest of your flock for a while, just in case anyone else is having an issue - it will just pass through their system if they don't need it. Crush up human B 100 complex vitamin and add it to the water - 1 or 2 pills per gallon, or mix it crushed up in with a wet mash of their feed. It can take up to a month of regular supplementation to have a full effect, but anything you do would help if it's needed.

What layer feed were you feeding them? I'm questioning if your feed analysis (feed tag) shows you've got the correct vitamins in there. If yes, then it may just be an issue for your poor rooster. Glad he's doing better!!!

I bought a liquid b12 supplement at Tractor Supply. I’ll continue that for the month. I also have poultry cell. Should that be the only water I give them? No plain water at all?

Attached is the tag from feed I’ve been giving them. This is the crumble - I assume the pellet was the same formula.

Anything specific I should be looking for in the all flock?

 

[Rick&Chris]

Wow! Yes, All Flock is appropriate for a mixed flock, with crushed oyster shell on the side for the layers. Glad he's on the mend!

Thank you!! Any brand of feed you recommend?

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Thank you!! Any brand if feed you recommend?

Whatever is fresh and readily available. Mine is Nutrena NatureWise 20% if I'm remembering correctly. We just get it from TSC, but I think they carry a Purina one as well. You may have something better available if you check a local place.

 

[FunClucks]

Thank you!! Any brand of feed you recommend?

My go-to is Purina Flockraiser 20% Protein. It has the best mix of vitamins for what is available in my area. My second choice is NurtureWise 20% Protein All Flock feed - they don't have quite as good vitamin content, but I'll feed it for a few months in the summer when Purina price is high, and supplement their water occasionally, and add the Purina back when the price drops in the fall/winter. If you look up the feed bag label on Purina's website and compare it to yours, you'll see the differences in Lysine, methionine, etc. If neither of those brands are available in your area, look up the ones that are on this site, and you'll find threads that discuss them.

Your feed is SUPER low on the protein. Strongly recommend something higher. If they eat anything at all besides their commercial feed, they're probably undernourished. And if you plan to keep them more than two years, they need higher protein and better vitamin content or you'll start seeing health problems, as you have been. No wonder your poor rooster was scarfing up those eggs - they are one of best sources of nutrient dense protein you can give your chickens. Fish, lean meat, chicken, canned tuna, some dog food, and some cat food (make sure all those are low in sodium content) are also other sources of protein to help increase their levels and start addressing possible nutrient deficiencies. But really the best thing you can do is go out and buy a 20% all flock feed and give them that exclusively. Feed grit and Oyster shell on the side in separate containers.

No judgement here - it's so confusing to pick a good feed in the store, and everyone will tell you something different. So glad you came here to ask how to help your rooster and your flock!

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

My go-to is Purina Flockraiser 20% Protein. It has the best mix of vitamins for what is available in my area. My second choice is NurtureWise 20% Protein All Flock feed - they don't have quite as good vitamin content, but I'll feed it for a few months in the summer when Purina price is high, and supplement their water occasionally, and add the Purina back when the price drops in the fall/winter. If you look up the feed bag label on Purina's website and compare it to yours, you'll see the differences in Lysine, methionine, etc. If neither of those brands are available in your area, look up the ones that are on this site, and you'll find threads that discuss them.

Your feed is SUPER low on the protein. Strongly recommend something higher. If they eat anything at all besides their commercial feed, they're probably undernourished. And if you plan to keep them more than two years, they need higher protein and better vitamin content or you'll start seeing health problems, as you have been. No wonder your poor rooster was scarfing up those eggs - they are one of best sources of nutrient dense protein you can give your chickens. Fish, lean meat, chicken, canned tuna, some dog food, and some cat food (make sure all those are low in sodium content) are also other sources of protein to help increase their levels and start addressing possible nutrient deficiencies. But really the best thing you can do is go out and buy a 20% all flock feed and give them that exclusively. Feed grit and Oyster shell on the side in separate containers.

No judgement here - it's so confusing to pick a good feed in the store, and everyone will tell you something different. So glad you came here to ask how to help your rooster and your flock!

Idk why I only saw the Purina here in crumble.

 

[Rick&Chris]

My go-to is Purina Flockraiser 20% Protein. It has the best mix of vitamins for what is available in my area. My second choice is NurtureWise 20% Protein All Flock feed - they don't have quite as good vitamin content, but I'll feed it for a few months in the summer when Purina price is high, and supplement their water occasionally, and add the Purina back when the price drops in the fall/winter. If you look up the feed bag label on Purina's website and compare it to yours, you'll see the differences in Lysine, methionine, etc. If neither of those brands are available in your area, look up the ones that are on this site, and you'll find threads that discuss them.

Your feed is SUPER low on the protein. Strongly recommend something higher. If they eat anything at all besides their commercial feed, they're probably undernourished. And if you plan to keep them more than two years, they need higher protein and better vitamin content or you'll start seeing health problems, as you have been. No wonder your poor rooster was scarfing up those eggs - they are one of best sources of nutrient dense protein you can give your chickens. Fish, lean meat, chicken, canned tuna, some dog food, and some cat food (make sure all those are low in sodium content) are also other sources of protein to help increase their levels and start addressing possible nutrient deficiencies. But really the best thing you can do is go out and buy a 20% all flock feed and give them that exclusively. Feed grit and Oyster shell on the side in separate containers.

No judgement here - it's so confusing to pick a good feed in the store, and everyone will tell you something different. So glad you came here to ask how to help your rooster and your flock!

This is GREAT info - thank you. I’ll go tomorrow to get All Flock 20%. I thought that they only got the higher protein when they molt - I always do the high protein Sept thru Feb.

4 years and still learning!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get some human super b complex tablets. Give him a tablet crushed in a spoonful of water, and squirt it in his beak a couple of times a day. He needs more b vitamins that include riboflavin, and b complex has all of them including riboflavin and b12. B12 has only b12, and chicken‘s leg issues can be related to riboflavin more so than b12.