Rooster Sitting Fluffed up- Do chickens get "stomach aches"?

Jan 7, 2024
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Island of Hawaii
My Coop
My Coop
My head rooster is acting very subdued. He is sitting off by himself with his neck in and his feathers fluffed up a little.
When I gave the usual afternoon weeds to the chickens, he did not join the flock in coming over to investigate.

Only differences today from a usual day was that I gave the flock of 7 a cold papaya half around lunch time. Do you think its possible he over indulged and just has the chicken equivalent of a stomach ache?

I have him separate in a crate and he seems miserable by himself. Should I put him back with the flock and monitor? Keep him separate to monitor?
 
My head rooster is acting very subdued. He is sitting off by himself with his neck in and his feathers fluffed up a little.
When I gave the usual afternoon weeds to the chickens, he did not join the flock in coming over to investigate.

Only differences today from a usual day was that I gave the flock of 7 a cold papaya half around lunch time. Do you think its possible he over indulged and just has the chicken equivalent of a stomach ache?

I have him separate in a crate and he seems miserable by himself. Should I put him back with the flock and monitor? Keep him separate to monitor?
Please post photos of him and his poop.

Is he the only rooster? If he is, then if the hens are not picking at him, I'd leave him with his hens.

Check his crop, is it emptying overnight?

How old is he?
What do you feed, including treats?
 
This is his first time showing any issue. He generally does not let me catch him, but when I was able to tonight his crop was relatively soft and not as crammed full as the others.

He is 2.5 months. There are three other roosters, but he bosses them about and generally runs the flock. There are three hens as well.
They all pay him deference and I haven't seen any form of bullying him.

Observing him just now as I put him back in the run- he is continuing with the fluffed out and neck in, though wants to be under or as close as he can be to the larger hens.

I will place a board under them roosting tonight to see if I can capture his specifically, since I haven't seen him poop in my brief visits to the run daily.

Feed:
  • Free Feed- Purina Organic Starter-Grower Chick Feed in two feeding stations.
  • Daily
    • Scratch grains tossed about the run so they can scratch at them throughout the day
    • Handful of weeds from the yard that include melastoma, young guinea grass, spurge, lots of unknown weeds, and inky cap mushrooms.
  • Treats
    • handful of mealworm or black soldier fly larva for the flock
    • Mango or Papaya bits as we have them
 
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Here's the board under where he roosted with a hen. I am not sure, but I think the one nearest the black feather is his.

I should note, they have clean water 24/7 and an electrolyte mix (Chick Boost) that I put out when I notice the Australorps panting. Yesterday was a bit warmer than it has been for a bit. I did notice the rooster in question partaking of the electrolyte mix around the time he started acting more subdued.

This morning he is acting more normal, though still somewhat subdued. He was interested in the barley scratch and some of the chick crumbles.
 

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It does seem to be, though I was a little late in getting out there today so he probably already started eating when I had checked.

I think it was just a passing thing, as he is acting generally normal again. I appreciate your time, Wyorp.
 

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