stumbling cockerel

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davidandrebecca

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Hello,
I need an opinion please........we have a 3 year old pekin cockerel, he has seemed well but stopped doodling a few weeks ago. Eating ok but feels thin. Suddenly started stunbling and falling forward 3 days ok, he was stuck in the cold and wet unable to get back up his ladder to the coop.
I warmed him up and he is inside for tlc but only a bit better.
Eating and drinking when prompted but stumbles forward and loses balance really easily.
Looks bright eyed but very quiet . Normal temperature, 40c.
I think it seems like a neurological thing...........
any ideas ? He is not getting better fast enough for our liking. ?? could this be Mareks or TB ?
 
Welcome to the forum Davidandrebeccca. Could be lots of things, the least likely being the two you mentioned. Needs to be kept warm. When was he last wormed? I would say his loss of balance was due to general poor condition. Stopping doodling is the first sign of illness and after 3 weeks he's still going. So he's a tough little chap. When they go off their legs that's it very suddenly. What are his poos like? Is his crop full and emptying overnight? Is his breathing OK. His body temperature is low. Should be closer to 41.5.
 
Thanks Chris - he doodled twice this morning... Poos are normal but slightly blue/green. Eating and drinking but needs a little encouragement. Crop does empty overnight but not completely. No discharge, from eyes or nostrils and breathing okay. Flubenvet wormed in the summer. He could be a bit cold - he's in a pen in the garage... Could bring him in to the house. He is well feathered and looks in good condition - red comb, bright eyed, but he is a bit thin. Still wobbly on his feet.

Thanks again for any input.
 
Blue/ green poos suggest the possibility of liver infection, as I found earlier this year with one of mine. She was cured by a trip to the vets and some antibiotics. If your bird was mine I would get him to a vet before the Christmas shut down, good to keep him warm, whatever is wrong with him this will help him.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum daveandrebecca, :-)99
Sorry to read your first post is a troubled one! Keep a very close eye on your boy, however I would be concerned that he has contracted Mareks by the symptoms you have described.
 
Hi, i just had another thought.....about 5 weeks ago we had a fox attack which terrified all our birds especially the little cockerel, they all survived amazingly but i wonder if he has had a shock reaction which took time to show....thinking about it more it must have been about then that he got quieter and the weather much colder too as well as clock change etc so i just wonder if that has clobbered his condition.
Thankyou for your thoughts, it has helped, i will do more intensive tlc for the rest of the week.
He did doodle this morning twice for the first time in ages so is hanging on in there!
 
Sorry DavidandRebecca; I'm a newbie, so please excuse the question. What's a "doodle"? Is it a euphamism for a poo?
 
That's interesting - i had assumed it meant he wasn't crowing, as in cock a doodle do! - if he had stopped doing whatever it was for some weeks, as in the first post, he would be a bit constipated, maybe?
 
Hi,
I did mean crowing by Doodling!
He is very quiet but did Cock a Doodle yesterday for first time.
He is in house now to be warmer .Will do some flubenvet today and review/decide on Friday..........
 
Though worming may help, you won't get an instant improvement with Flubenvet as he will have to have the whole 1- week course, and you will need to be sure he gets a full dose each day. He will need half a scoop of the powder mixed into whatever you are giving him to eat, over the course of one week. There was a recent thread about this. See http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7500
But unless you know he hasnt been wormed for a long time, I would wait for the vets opinion before starting this, and perhaps get him to the vets ASAP. as the Christmas shutdown is nearly upon us.
 
I took him to vet on saturday, vet not sure, sent us home......i think it is probably a neuro thing, his legs are packing up, i think it is time to call it a day, no quality of life....we are used to making these decisions, a week of tlc and limited improvement.....it could be Mareks....i saw a chook recently with it whose legs were sticking out infront of her....could not stand....i think he is going a similar way alas.....thanks all, will discuss with hubby tonite....
 
Blue green poos are an internal infection. He may fight it off himself Davidandrebecca. Back to the TLC or to the vet for antibiotics. But with him doodling without I think more TLC may sort him. Make sure his diet is good and he has plenty of water, even if you have to force him. Worm as soon as you think he is strong enough if you think its necessary -dying worms give off toxins and the bird has to be sufficiently strong to survive it. Hence the need to worm regularly -not when it is noticeably a problem as that may be too late.
 
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