Hi Sarah, and welcome to the Forum. Sorry to hear about your cockerel. I don't think it's very likely to be worms, as he's only 8 months old and since you are new to keeping chickens it's probable that the land you are keeping them on is relatively free from eggs from the worms of previous chickens. But in any case, it would be good to routinely worm all your flock now, at the start of Spring, using Flubenvet rather than Vermex. Vermex is a herbal tonic for the gut, but it is not effective against worms and does not kill them. If you go to the Poultrykeeper website (click on the bottom of this page) there is lots of information about worming that you ma find useful. See http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/worming-chickens
If he has been looking poorly since last night, he may actually been feeling ill for longer than this, as chickens are very good at hiding signs that they are unwell, being a prey species, and also other birds in the flock tend to pick on a weakling. Obviously he's not egg bound, which might cause the droopiness you report in a hen! It's possible he might have a gut infection, which will respond to a trip to the vet for antibiotics, or a crop blockage. Is he eating and pooing normally? Does his crop feel hard and distended (possibly blocked, ie impacted with undigested material such as long grass) or is it soft and sort of squidgy, which might indicate that food is decomposing in there and it is filling with liquid. ( sour crop.) Both of these conditions can be treated at home, by massage and/ or draining the crop contents, but a visit to the vet for a proper diagnosis would also be a good idea if you are not sure about the problem. Do you have a good poultry vet near you? It's worth enquiring before booking an appointment to find one who specialises in birds, as some vets don't have much experience in this area.
