Solitary chicken - need advice

[MillyJude]

Is hunching always a sign of illness?

 

We have a new cockerel, about 7months old, eating and drinking loads, but he seems to stand sometimes with his head close in to his body, not stretched out and high up like i imagine a cockerel should.

 

We are keeping him separate from the hens while he settles in but he can see them and seems interested in them generally, could he just be cold?

 

Also he has mud in his leg feathers cos he was in a muddy pen at the breeders, will this clean off naturally and is it ok to leave it?

 

I may just be being paranoid, but we lost our last cockerel to illness so i just wanted to check,

 

Thanks

[Chickabee]

If he's eating and drinking i think he's fine. Mine hunch especially when it's windy. Sometimes when they're having a little nap and sometimes I think because they're a bit fed up.

 

Wouldn't worry about the mud on his feathers, that will come off naturally. Has he been wormed and checked for mite recently. The mite can actually make them really fed up.

 

If all this is fine, try letting him free range for a bit. He might just not like being on his own. It doesn't have to be the whole garden, just a sectioned off bit

[sjp]

if you've had him more than 2 weeks ( he should know were home is by then) then I'd let him out for a bit of FR this afternoon about 40 mins to 1hour before dark it'll make catching him easier if he wont go back in plus it'll give you a chance to see if he perks up when he's out of solitary confinement

[MillyJude]

Hi, thanks for your replies, i let him free range for a bit this afternoon and he was pecking and wandering around normally. Maybe thats just how he stands.

 

I'll check him for mites and worm him in case, also the hens have just been done so that will bring him in line with them.

 

Thanks

[MillyJude]

Ive just checked him over and he is crawling with red mite

 

I'll get some stuff this afternoon but how do i apply it to him, do i just rub it over generally?

 

The info i looked up said they should be dormant after October, but they were moving around on him, so what does that mean? Just that they are not breeding?

 

Presumably i do the main hen house as well in case? Although its an eglu so is it better to just hose it out thoroughly ?

 

Thanks

[Chickabee]

Poor thing. I use the powder which I apply liberally paying attention to the rear end and under the wings. Has he been in the eglu ? If not there shouldn't be a problem. You could give it a bit of a spray if you just want to make sure, but I don't think water alone is enough too kill the little horrors. Good luck

[MillyJude]

Thanks

 

Hmm he has been in the main house, he wasn't supposed too, but i let him into the meadow so he could free range with the girls yesterday afternoon, and when i went out at dusk he had put himself to bed in their house, cheeky boy.

 

So i'll powder that in case as well.

 

He is much perkier generally now he is free ranging, still hasn't crowed at all yet, still thats probably a good thing

[gavclojak]

I would wash the house, use a good spray of poultry shield, leave for an hour then wipe or rinse off then apply the DE to all the nooks and cranny's of the house.

Maybe think about a spot-on treatment too, I use Ivamectin, save's all that dusting:)

Those little demon's

[MillyJude]

The powder says to do it early in the morning, so he has a reprieve till tomorrow.

 

Will definitely research the spot on thing. That sounds so much easier.

 

Thanks

[jimnpaula]

The info i looked up said they should be dormant after October, but they were moving around on him, so what does that mean? Just that they are not breeding?

 

They need heat to keep them active so in cooler housing they'll slow down, but if they're on him he's keeping them warm and providing a meal, poor boy. I thought red mite lived in the house though, are you sure it's not lice he's got?

 

If he's been mingling with the girls a spot on treatment for everyone might be most effective on mites or lice, and a thorough clean of house, nestboxes and dustbath will help get rid of the things.

[MillyJude]

I dont know, they looked white, but some were red yesterday.

 

The powder and house spray is for lice and mites so it should work whatever.

 

I have a very clean eglu cube now will put some of the powder in the corners when its dry.

 

I'll look up some pictures and try to work out what they are, is ivamectin ok for lice as well?

 

Thanks for your help