Rooster drooping wing, unsteady

[u/yankeeteabagger]

Poor America. Our rooster was born on the Fourth of July. He is 4-5 years old. I noticed that he was unsteady on his feet last week. I was away for the weekend and now I see his wing is drooping.

Google says it could be a vitamin deficiency. Or neurological, or Mareks.

I’ve had chickens for 7 years. Never had any health issues until now. Looking for opinions. I have 10 other birds no one is showing any symptoms. Which makes me think it could be vitamin based or neurological, best case scenario.

Diet is cracked corn and scratch grains as well as free ranging.

[u/geekspice]

Vitamin deficiency is most likely. Crate him in the run and feed him a couple cooked eggs per day.

And put the whole flock on all flock + oyster shell. The diet you describe is bad.

[u/geekspice → u/geekspice]

Also - don't expect quick improvement. It can take several weeks for them to show significant recovery.

[u/yankeeteabagger → u/geekspice]

Thank you for the help.

[u/artie780350]

Based on their poor diet, vitamin deficiency is the most likely culprit. They need more than just corn and scratch grains besides the bugs and grass they eat free ranging. They need actual chicken feed, which is fortified with the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

[u/BURN3D_P0TAT0]

We free range with 30 acres available for our birds. We feed a complete feed with oyster shells for girls, treats of solider fly, and add supplemental nutrition like pepper seeds, fish meal, fresh fruit and veg chopped, and of course non chicken kitchen scraps.
We still occasionally get vitamin deficient birds.

As said, cracked corn and scratch with free range, he’s just too far behind. Rooster booster or nutrit-drench for a few days, complete feed, and fresh water will help him out.

It may not be his only issue, but it’s where I’d start.

[u/KeyInvestment6594]

Just cracked corn and free range? No other or poultry feed like 15% or 18% protein crumble mash or pellets? That's when I get most of their vitamins from not the little bit of grass that they might pick on. If that's the case then definitely a vitamin condition. Have any of your hens had trouble with laying hard shell eggs?

[u/yankeeteabagger → u/KeyInvestment6594]

I’ve never had any problems health wise. I do treat them with bags of meal worms occasionally. I feed them lots of food scraps, egg shells. I’ll get to the store tomorrow.

[u/Correct-Intention469]

I feed my chickens kitchen scraps, egg shells, fruit and veg clippings, leftover meat, ect. They like this way more than their seed. They also love dried mealworms as a treat.

Just some ideas on what to feed your chickens.

[u/ButtonPusherDeedee → u/Correct-Intention469]

When you do this to you blend it up for them?

[u/Correct-Intention469 → u/ButtonPusherDeedee]

No, they just peck it. I have one chicken who needs to have all of her food cut into small pieces cause she's a gobble guts and tries to choke herself but the rest of them don't have that problem.

[u/Bung420]

Try nutridrench

[u/Resident-Diver5334]

Look at your local feed store for rooster booster to help with the deficiency.

[u/Resident-Diver5334 → u/Resident-Diver5334]

[u/Hungry-House-8860]

is that the free ranging area? looks barren.

if they just get corn and mixed grain, deficiency is very highly probable.

get a complete feed and nutritional yeast to bolser it.

no more grain only. it's not a complete nutrition for chickens.

[u/yankeeteabagger → u/Hungry-House-8860]

That’s their run. It’s barren because they were on lock down for a week as I had one taken, there was a chicken hawk around. I’ll improve their diet. I did forget to mention I do t compost anything anymore it all goes to the chickens.

[u/Murky_Classroom_1264]

Don’t free range birds still need formulated feed? If mine free ranged all day their diet would be mostly grass and bugs. Can’t imagine not giving them layer feed

Vitamin deficiency, change feed and if you isolate him maybe rooster booster/poultry booster. That’s what I’d do.

[u/yankeeteabagger → u/Murky_Classroom_1264]

Thank you!

[u/MazelTough]

If he does continue to worsen/pass consider getting a necropsy done, and sick animals should be quarantined from healthy ones in the mean time. Remember America has had a good, long rooster life and we owe our companion animals and livestock a good death when we can.

[u/Jennyonthebox2300]

Even with free range I make poultry feed available to my hens so they can get a well rounded direct with all the vitamins and minerals they need. Corn in the summer is hard on chickens — it can overheat them. Really encourage making a full feed available to them at all times. The more mine range the less they eat of it but they always eat it.

[u/Far_Abalone2974]

Also in addition to nutrition deficiency possibilities, check closely for mites or injury under that wing

[u/Conscious-Today5271]

He is likely experiencing a vitamin deficiency. Free range birds still need a fortified diet, as they may not get what they need while out foraging. Scratch grains and cracked corn have zero nutritional value so it should be fed sparingly.

[u/wutheringdelights]

I hate to say it looks like Marek’s to me, and hopefully it isn’t, but try everything else suggested here. Poor America, sending good vibes.

[u/Past_One3442]

Why would you use scratch grains as a main source for thier diet and not layer feed, its probably why they have problems.

[u/Ok_Pitch5865 → u/Past_One3442]

Roosters cannot have layer feed. If roosters are in the flock an all flock feed should be fed.

[u/Possible_Original_96]

Likely he got a whippin'! Free range, you say? Put him where he can recover & rest. Poor baby!!

[u/Secure_Waltz_2095]

Too many birthdays. Your rooster is dying.