Gold laced wyandotte rooster craning his neck

Can't find a hospital section, so I guess goes here.

A one year old rooster. Living in separated pens from three other breeds.
Has five hens with him of same breed.
Healthy as can be
No symptoms of any illness
No free ranging today, due to high rains, intermittent sunshine
Regular food, no difference in feed

I went out to close the chickens in tonight and noticed the rooster out in the pen by himself. Unusual.
He appeared to be craning his neck from side to side as if he was trying to see something
He can see, he moved away from my hands
I encouraged him to go into his house
Stumbled a little as he got through the opening
Still craning his neck back and forth, from side to side
Checking to see if he can see me, yes, he can, he moves away, as usual action
He tried to fly up to roost with hens, but tumbled down slightly, no injury
He appears to look normal except for the neck craning from side to side, as if to look around a corner at something
Nothing looks out of the ordinary, except for the neck craning from side to side

I am going back out to isolate him into a cage so he does not move around too much to be harmed
I then have to go out for about and hour and a half

I will check for any answers or suggestions

If you do not know what his symptoms display, please do not make any comments or things that you THINK it is. I don't have time to look at posts that are made, if one doesn't know, is just guessing. If no one has seen these symptoms, that will be fine too, I will deal with it on my own. But if anyone has EXPERIENCED this form of action, please tell me your experience and what the issue may be. Have a wonderful night, CynthiaM.

Cynthia I have no miracle cure for you but had the same thing in my gorgeous BLRW rooster this year. What I did was seperate him in a small pen so he didnt have to go far for food and water. Added vitamins to his water daily and when I could I would dip his beak to help him drink. He was disorientated and eventually had his head completely flipped around. But within 2 weeks he was back to normal, kept him seperated until he was stronger again and then put him in a pen with a couple drake ducks so he didnt have to compete for food or feel he had to be breeding. He is doing well and I just hatched a batch of chicks off him again.
I am really thinking it was an inner ear infection, but not certain. The vitamins helped him pull through, maybe antibiotics would have helped but I dont like to give anything unless I know what I am treating for. Oh I also eprinexed him to make sure there were no bugs I was missing.

Good luck with your rooster, hope he turns around for you like my boy did.

Cindi, I am going to be absolutely no help, but I can tell you this is what happens to me when I spin round and round to fast for to long!

Jayme, thank you for the response. In retrospect, I believe it is an ear thing. The symptoms that I saw. It is yet too early to go out and check the dude, but I will be later, well, of course, the birds need to be let out. He is in a comfortable area. An animal crate that has a plastic bottom, with sides and top that are made of metal wire. Lots and lots of air, from sides and top.

I placed Cirus in there last night, with some water and some nice straw. I covered his temporary home with a towel to keep him feeling comfortable. He immediately began to make that cool sound that roosters make to call their hens when they find something yummy to eat. Clearly, not a sick bird. I left him for a few minutes and then looked and he had settled down and was laying quietly.

We had the rains from hell yesterday, as we have had so much of the past few days. It has seemed like the heavens opened up and the rain pours down, for short periods, but it is strong and hard.

I honestly believe that Cirus got rain in his ear/s, or water that bumped up into an ear from a puddle.

When you spoke of the same symptoms with your BLRW, I thought ear. Absolutely. I do not though, think it is an ear infection. The symptoms came on too suddenly. I know he was well just a few hours before, as I was out watching the youngsters and adults for a long time, and he was acting totally normally.

I will not leave the thought of a possible ear infection itself, out in the rain, that is in the back of my mind. He will have a little area today for him to reorient himself, with food and water, with vitamins, so that he can have an extra boost. Time will tell that tale this morning when I check upon this fellow.

I wonder if when a bird gets water into an ear how difficult that water is to get out (on the bird's own of course). The thought of trying to get water out of an ear is daunting and I don't think I should attempt this. I do not understand the anatomy of a chicken ear channel, but it is probably very intricate.

So. From what I have heard from you, Jayme, and what I know has been going on with the raining comin' down as their nary was a tomorrow, I believe that we have "water in the ear", smiling that big smile. Now if this water in the ear creates an infection, only time too, will tell that tale. But I feel comfortable that is what he is experiencing.

Thinking back on how I was watching him for so long, I believe that it was an equilibrium issue. That was why he miscalculated the roost jumping-onto, craned his neck this way and that way, trying to get a sense of where to go. It really looked like he was stretching his head out to look around a corner, from side to side, trying to figure it all out. Poor dude, he must have felt very awful.

Disorientation is a strange thing, and I can't even begin to imagine how a bird that is so perfect with command of their head and body, could have this lost. Odd, but yes. Nearly positively water-in-the-ear. I will report my findings and keep this topic active, so in the event the diagnosis is correct, if others find this same sort of behaviour, and it has been rainin' those cats and dogs, perhaps their bird has been exposed to this same thing. Hmmmm....time will tell the tale. Have a wonderful day, happy, healthy and loved, CynthiaM.

Coopslave, that happens to me too . But I don't think the bird was having a party spinning in circles, smiling that big smile.

The rooster in question is 100% back to normal, thought he was going to break the confined area to get out and be with his clan, smiling.

There is absolutely nothing to have ever indicated that this bird had been so disorientated. Rallying his girls, crowing, eating the scratch that is thrown each morning as a treat to all, happy and running around like a mad demon.

So....a mystery remains. But as I have said, I strongly believe that he had some moisture in one of his ears, or both, that caused extreme disorientation. A happy ending to what I thought might have been a tragic one. This is a good day. Have a great and awesome day, CynthiaM.

Happy to hear a good ending to this.
Did my spinning comment make you think ear, did it, did it?
Just like me always trying to take credit when none is due!
I am glad at least Hidden gave an intelligent, thought out post.

Glad he is back to normal, definately makes sense he had some water in his ear, glad he got it out and is back to normal.