Sick or injured Rooster ! failing again :( please help

[Rebecka]

Bob and everyone else for that matter were brought home on april 15th. They were all within days of being hatched at that point. So they are not even 3 months old yet. Unlike the bees, I did not get several months of study time before they arrived. So there are many early on mistakes that I still wince at the thought of.

Should we purchase birds like this again, I will be certain of their handling prior. We have about 20 that have various birth defects and foot and leg injuries. Of the 125, we have 114 that have survived their early life ordeals.

Peggy was one with injuries. Her leg is dislocated at the knee ( I thought it was her hip and my sweet husband corrected me) and still gets around okay but not great. She and Bob are doing Very well in their cage in the coop. Bob has made significant improvement today. Yesterday he could not stand at all. Today he can stand, walk about 20 feet before he falls over ( though he is still using his wings for balance) and can even hop a bit. They both seem to be glad the other is there and he is certainly happier with the other birds than in the house with me. I had to admit I have mixed feelings on that but I understand

Another of the Red Rocks like Peggy has some serious foot deformities and I expect she will get to share space with Peggy soon.

I have done some reading on both stroke and Marek's and it really doesn't seem like Marek's ( thank goodness) I would think if it were nerve damage he wouldn't be recovering so quickly. Our local livestock vet was less than interested in answering my questions about a bird purchased for meat. He clammed up a whole lot when he found out I was not talking about a show bird.

 

[Rebecka]

Bob has flat stopped improving. We were seeing daily improvement, not anymore. He can stand, but not for long. He cannot run at all without falling over. Though, he does not seem to be getting any worse. Today a stiff wind knocked him over. I have no idea at all whats wrong with him, I am just grateful he is not getting worse. I tried to add another PT today and the poor little guy was just not interested. I got him out of his cage, snuggled him for a bit, like always and went to put him on the ground and he "held on" I got him to let go and set him down and he was clearly trying to get back in my arms. So, I just walked around with him in my arms for a while. I am thinking of repurposing him. I am considering supervised visits to the garden for bug control. He has become my little snuggle rooster and I just don't have it in me to eat him now.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Good luck

 

[Rebecka]

I've come to be very attached to Bob. We spend happy hours together in the garden, me pointing out bugs to him, him eating them then getting my affections for doing so. The night before last we had a really bad storm. We forced the chickens in the coop for fear of hail and afterward let them out. Bob and Peggy were in their shared cage but when we checked on them, they were both wet! Peggy was plenty warm, Bob was cold. Scary cold. Please dont tell anyone, but I put Bob in my shirt to warm him. He was Really cold. He went from lethargic to going after my jewelry within minutes. However, he cant hardly stand again. He is half the size of the other bard rock males. This really looked like early stroke but now.. I am not so sure.

Today, I got him out for PT and he just wanted to snuggle. When I put him down to walk and be a chicken he just wanted to climb up into my arms again. Making those heart wrenching chicken in distress sounds the whole time. I snuggled him and put him back in his cage with peggy and he just wanted back into my snuggling. I ask this..


Have I taught this roo that snuggling rocks or is there something illness related going on here? of course my research has produced mixed results. I really don't want my ignorance to cause me to lose Bob. Any and all ideas will be considered, I just want my little bob to get better

 

[dragonlaurel]

Poor hens I think he likes you better than them. Sounds like he fell in love. Gotta be careful about putting teenage boys in your shirt.
Seriously now- Can he stand up well on your lap? Or on a flat surface while you are petting him?
I'm trying to figure out how much of this is wanting your company, and how much is physical weakness.

 

[Rebecka]

There is real weakness in his legs. Though I wonder if there might be an imbalance or something. The wind will blow him over at times. He can stand, just not well or for long. He can walk, but he is back to flapping his wings for balance. He cant stand at all on an uneven surface, my lap, heavy grass and trips over rocks. When he does fall over, its always to the one side and he struggles to get back up. Of course now I have to cage him to protect him from the other chickens. They seem to think his attempts to balance are signs of aggression. I also know its just as bad when he cant see me. He does play it up a bit when I am around, but thats my own fault for fawning over him the way I do.

 

[bibliophile birds]

Madeline is pretty much the same, falls over a lot, gets blown over, etc... she hobbles for a bit and then lays down. but she can make it all over her pen, which is probably about 10x10. i don't put her in with the rest of the chickens because they go after her. and she does the same with me that Bob does with you- wants to sit in my lap, screams at me if i ignore her.

so long as he doesn't seem to be in pain, i'd let him do his thing. i know it's hard to do, but i'd handle him a bit less. maybe it will make him try harder to use that leg. the severity will probably come and go: Madeline has days where she seems almost normal and then days where i'm convinced she'll never walk again... but she seems happy and never seems in pain, so i'm just going to let her tell me when it's time for her to go.

you and Bob will get through this.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I wish I knew how to help him.

 

[justusnak]

Sounds like you are doing a wonderfull job with Bob. If he were mine....I would be getting some infants liquid vitamins with iron, and giving it to him once a day, for at least a week. Just dribble a few drops along his beak...he will swallow it. It smells bad, and he MIGHT shake his head...then you will be wearing it! LOL Sounds like vitamins and iron is what he is needing right now. Good luck with him, I hope he recovers!!!