remember the rooster who wouldn't crow......

 Well...do you?
I have a rooster who i love...yes i love him. He is a beauty, Black as coal ameraucana with purple hues everywhere, and he is a gem.
I had moved him out with the girls a while ago, and we noticed that he didn't crow. I had thought that perhaps he was overwhelmed with all the girls and i did notice that there were some pretty agressive hens that would attack him...it all evened out but still we have not heard him crow.
Then i began to notice him just not looking right.
instead of sleeping on the roost, he slept below it and we would come out in the morning and sometimes he would have shit on his head...
Then past couple of days he has been in one of the nesting boxes
Chuck went to pick him up and Tony almost fell over..very weak.
During the day, he seemed to always be at the feeding trough, or out eating pumpkin and seeming to be acting normal.
So, now he is inside living the life of riley
But, i am trying to figure out what might be up with this guy?
I started giving Tetracyclin in the water and will give for 5 days..
but am wondering about worms.
he does open his beak slightly when he breathes..but his eyes look clear, nose is not runny and he is making no noises...
so then i though..gapeworm?...and maybe this is why he can't crow
and maybe i am just neurotic....
I thought i had read that Ameraucana's were cold hardy?
he eats like a horse and i now have him on medicated chick feed, apples, tomatoes, what ever else
So, any thoughts?

and...i have the flu.... 6 days now!  carol

I don't think it would hurt to worm him for gapeworm. But others will probably have other better suggestions. I doubt the wormer

would hurt him. I don't blame you for wanting to get him better, he sounds like a really neat rooster. Good Luck.

Hey Bigrock, did we see on here some where or was it somewhere else, but something about mites sucking their blood at night and them not thriving, makes them weak. Red mites? just a thought, can't remember where I saw that now. These mites come out at night and are gone in the morning. Maybe I read it in a book. But maybe if that was the story you would see more chickens in the same state?

Sorry to hear you're sick Bigrock.
Can't hurt to feed him some yogurt and catfood. Probiotics and protein.
Good luck. He sounds like a beauty.

Magdelan wrote:Hey Bigrock, did we see on here some where or was it somewhere else, but something about mites sucking their blood at night and them not thriving, makes them weak.  Red mites?  just a thought, can't remember where I saw that now.  These mites come out at night and are gone in the morning.  Maybe I read it in a book.  But maybe if that was the story you would see more chickens in the same state?

i checked all of my birds for mites, and him also for mites and nothing...he looks real clean..bit of a messy bum..
i will try the antibiotics, then will try the wormer.
If i use panacur do i still have to use another wormer or will it cover the other worms in chickens?

farmchiq wrote:Can't hurt to feed him some yogurt and catfood.  Probiotics and protein.
.

Thanks farmchiq-will try both

bigrock wrote:

Magdelan wrote:Hey Bigrock, did we see on here some where or was it somewhere else, but something about mites sucking their blood at night and them not thriving, makes them weak.  Red mites?  just a thought, can't remember where I saw that now.  These mites come out at night and are gone in the morning.  Maybe I read it in a book.  But maybe if that was the story you would see more chickens in the same state?

i checked all of my birds for mites, and him also for mites and nothing...he looks real clean..bit of a messy bum..
i will try the antibiotics, then will try the wormer.
If i use panacur do i still have to use another wormer or will it cover the other worms in chickens?

a process of elimination, you will get there in the end me thinks  .  

not sure on the panacur.  sorry.  I do believe the flubenvet (right way to spell it?) does gape as well as round worm.

Oh geeze, bigrock, sorry you are sick, bummer. And sorry to hear about dude, he was exceptional for sure. I don't know. Chickens get sick sometimes, sometimes it is just the genetics. Who knows. Panacur (fenbendazole) is what is used for gapeworm, and yes it does take care of other worms too, you bought some of that I think I remember. Wish there was more help for you, but seems just not. Keep him warm and feed him good, he will get better or not. Hope it works out,do take care and have a great day, CynthiaM.

I would put a drop or two of pour on ivomec on him just to be sure you got the external parasites. I have found poultry lice can do that to a bird, and can be really hard to see sometimes. I found you have to be checking every day and then you will catch some. Good luck finding out what is going on with him!!

lice...yes...nasty...nasty lice