Rooster with sudden extreme lethargy

[buckabucka]

I have a golden cuckoo Marans rooster, 1 year old. Wednesday he was perfectly normal, -energetic, vigorous eating, drinking, mating. Thursday morning he was extremely lethargic. He walked to the feeder and fell sound asleep. His comb appeared brilliant red. He had solid and normal-looking droppings, but very bright green. The birds have been out ranging, so the color may not be a sign of disease, but the hens do not have droppings of this color.

All day Thursday, the rooster alternated between very brief periods of standing/walking and longer periods of laying absolutely flat, head on the ground, eyes closed. I was not home, but DH said many times he thought he had died and checked for breathing. He syringe fed some water. I had planned to cage him when I got home late Thursday, but when I went to check on him, the rooster showed a sudden improvement. He ate and drank on his own and mated the hens, although he went to roost early.

Today, Friday morning, he needed some blue-kote on his foot. The hens pick at the feathers on his feet and caused some bleeding. He was able to crow (not something he could do yesterday) but kept falling asleep. He slept a lot all day, but did not lay as flat or appear dead, which I guess is a slight improvement. I don't know if he ate much as I was working, but he did pick at feed this evening. During the brief periods that he is awake, he is capable of running full speed after a hen and seems somewhat normal, but he quickly falls asleep again.

This came on very suddenly, -overnight. He's never been wormed before, and I have some Valbazen. I don't know if worming is hard on their system and I should wait for improvement, or if I should worm right away (or at all). It almost seems like he ate something bad or had a heart attack (would he survive that?). Not a gradual decline at all. I'm not sure how I should proceed, but something must be wrong with him.

I appreciate any insight someone might have.

 

[dawg53]

Go ahead and worm him with the valbazen. It's a very safe wormer and slowly kills worms over several days preventing blockage if there's an worm infestation. Give him 1/2cc orally and repeat in 10 days. Then give him buttermilk mixed with scrambled egg to eat for one day after each worming.

 

[buckabucka]

Thank you for the reply. I'll give him the Valbazen tomorrow. He's pretty easy to catch right now!

 

[buckabucka]

The GCM rooster is very weak today and I'm not confident he will make it. I gave him the Valbazen and also treated with Ivermectin pour-on, since I found a few mites. It took a while to spot them, -not huge numbers, but definitely there. I'm going to need to treat the whole flock now.

I caged him in the coop. I don't know if it would be better to leave him free, but a day of rest without distraction might be good. He ate one or two bites of scrambled egg. I syringed a little water and now he is crashed.

I will update his improvement or decline later, in case someone with a similar issue is looking for help.

 

[dawg53]

You shouldnt have given him the ivermectin pour on...too much chemicals. Besides if it's northern fowl mites, ivermectin is ineffective treating them. Give him heavy doses of probiotics.

 

[buckabucka]

Oh, bummer. I don't know how to tell the difference between northern fowl mites and the other kind. I have cleared up mites on a dying hen before with Ivermectin, but it was a shot in the dark.
The rooster was so weak yesterday afternoon, that he was unable to eat or drink, and I struggled to get anything in him. I fully expected him to be dead this morning, but I heard him crow twice.
I had to cage him this morning so the girls would not eat all his food, but he gingerly picked at scrambled egg and feed drenched in kefir. If he is going to survive, I hope he turns the corner soon. Monday I will be back at work, so he will have limited individual attention. Fingers crossed...

 

[buckabucka]

My rooster did not move or lift his head for 24 hours from Sunday into Monday, and his comb was turning purple. I was surprised that he was still breathing Monday morning.
I started syringe feeding kefir, and later kefir mixed with egg yolk. He has started picking at moistened feed and will drink water on his own now. Wednesday he walked and flapped his wings, Thursday he crowed, and Friday he mated 4 hens. While he still spends much of the day asleep, the purple is gone from his comb and I think he is coming back.

This coming Tuesday, he will be due for the second dose of Valbazen. I am worried it will set him back. He weighs next to nothing now. Should I still treat him?
What about the mites? Should I try dusting him (instead of Ivermectin) assuming he survives all this? There may be some other underlying problem, but I'd like to follow through with treating for worms and mites, if it won't hurt him.
Thanks for any advice.

 

[ktpaco]

Just curious if the rooster made it from this illness. A Wyandote rooster that I keep by himself (as the others want to kill him) - just suddenly displayed this single symptom this morning. As I was in on my way to work, I didn't have much time to examine him, but he has no obvious injuries or breathing issues. I wanted to dose him with some injection antibodics, however I just didn't have time to do that, so I opted to put some oral antibodics in his water - hoping he will still be alive when I get home. I occassionally worm them, but its probably time to do that again, however I would be surprised that worms would cause a sudden onset of lethargy. He is standing and sleeping, no crowing that I heard this morning, but as usual, I have several things to do on a work morning, so I could have missed that. I would like to know how this case turned out - and learn what was the problem/illness was - hopefully to prevent Sammy from dying.

 

[buckabucka]

Just curious if the rooster made it from this illness.  A Wyandote rooster that I keep by himself (as the others want to kill him) - just suddenly displayed this single symptom this morning.  As I was in on my way to work, I didn't have much time to examine him, but he has no obvious injuries or breathing issues.  I wanted to dose him with some injection antibodics, however I just didn't have time to do that, so I opted to put some oral antibodics in his water - hoping he will still be alive when I get home.  I occassionally worm them, but its probably time to do that again, however I would be surprised that worms would cause a sudden onset of lethargy.  He is standing and sleeping, no crowing that I heard this morning, but as usual, I have several things to do on a work morning, so I could have missed that.  I would like to know how this case turned out - and learn what was the problem/illness was - hopefully to prevent Sammy from dying.

My rooster is still alive! He was so close to dead during that illness. Spent 24 hours flat on the ground without moving. I was shocked in the morning to find him breathing. That morning, I syringe fed him some kefir. He was on my lap, eyes closed, head drooping, but suddenly he opened his eyes wide and tilted his head. He had heard some crows flying overhead. From then on, it was very slow, but steady progress.

I almost think he has a heart problem. This winter his comb showed some purple occasionally. He is not as vigorous as my other roosters. I know chickens snooze sometimes during the day, but sometimes when the flock is outside exploring the yard, I find this rooster has gone back in the coop for a nap on the roost. Maybe I am just paranoid, but to me, he acts old (even though he is young).

I do worm my chickens every winter now. Good luck with yours!

 

[ktpaco]

I don't know what kefir is, so I will find out what that is. Sammy is no better or worse from this am. I looked him up and down, no mites, injuries, breathing issues, or nasal congestion. He just wants to stand or sit, and sleep. He's young, about a year. I have him an injection of tylan 50, but as usual, I didn't get most of it in, so I gave him some by mouth too. He is drinking water, on his own, and I also gave him some. I'll check the crop in the am, and the poop doesn't look unusual. I don't know what is going on. I will worm him with wazine - it's what I have on hand, and pick up the all around wormer this weekend - even though I just don't think that's the issue.

He's a beautiful bird, and my 2nd favorite rooster, out of the 7 I have. I hope this doesn't end poorly. Chickens really are so pitiful when they get sick.

I'm so happy that your rooster recovered from his illness! I hope he is just lazy, and doesn't have a heart condition. Thanks for the update!