sick cockerel

[animartco]

Hi I have a bantam cock that does not appear sick but I noticed that one leg had lost feathers at the top and was looking very red. When I examined him I found the whole keel area and tops of both legs blood red in patches, and hairless. I don't think it is the usual sort of depluming mite. That usually starts in the small of the back doesn't it? I was wondering if it could be some form of blood poisoning as he degloved a toe while fighting through wire, which is very swollen. I checked all his hens and they are all OK, but I am keeping him isolated. Has anyone any ideas what it is?
Cheers Animartco

 

[chrismahon]

Sounds like the start of Northern Fowl Mite Animartco, although our cock when he had it didn't lose any feathers. But of course his feathers are much larger. Feather eating mite leave a stub of feather level with the surface and full of dried blood as they burrow into the quill at the base to suck blood from the inside. So you will see little black spots where the feathers were. NFM are extremely small and you will need a magnifying glass and a torch. They eat the skin away to get to the flesh underneath and then live happily under the scab that forms and gradually gets bigger. Hackles and around the vent are the favoured areas. Our depluming mite have attacked the heads and necks and the whole area under the vent.

Think if it was blood poisoning he would be dead now. I'd go to the vet and get Frontline spray (not spot-on) and administer at 3 sprays per Kg bodyweight. That's probably his total dose 3 sprays. Don't be tempted to exceed that dosage.

 

[animartco]

Oh thanks Chris, It doesn't look like what you describe. The naked areas are completely smooth and the patchy blood redness looks a long way in which made me think it was a blood condition. I know when a hen lost half a toe she was very poorly for 24 hrs or so and I thought I'd lose her, but she ralied and she's fine now, so I thought they'd react differently to poisons in the blood than us. The vent is clear and the fluff around it is normal, as are all the feathers on the top. The infection, whatever it is, only shows on the legs belly and keel, and the bird does not appear to itch. In fact he's fighting fit. Anyway I have someone coming to top him at the weekend, but I do like to have diagnoses if poss. Oh well. Cheers, Gillian