Rooster is intermittently unbalanced

[AutumnEffectRanch]

I have a young Serama rooster (less than 1 year old), who I found laying on his back like a turtle in the coop on Monday. He was very alert, but unable to right himself. He is able to stand and walk sometimes, but other times he topples over. Comb is sometimes nice and red, sometimes tips are purple. He is still alert, eating, and drinking like normal. Poops look fantastic. I've had him inside in a basket since Monday (today is day 5). He has neither worsened or gotten better. Any ideas?

A hen in his coop died suddenly a few weeks ago, and I had attributed it to mold because I lost a few other young birds in housed on the same type of bedding within a few days of each other. All looked fine, then dead the next day. I do have MG in my flock, but he has no respiratory symptoms.
I'm currently putting Poultry Cell in his water, but thats it. There are no real poultry vets in my area. I have other medications available, but I dont want to throw unnecessary medications at him either.

Has anyone else experienced a chicken with ataxia and no other symptoms?

 

[nuthatched]

What is their diet? What bedding are they on?

 

[AutumnEffectRanch]

I have a young Serama rooster (less than 1 year old), who I found laying on his back like a turtle in the coop on Monday. He was very alert, but unable to right himself. He is able to stand and walk sometimes, but other times he topples over. Comb is sometimes nice and red, sometimes tips are purple. He is still alert, eating, and drinking like normal. Poops look fantastic. I've had him inside in a basket since Monday (today is day 5). He has neither worsened or gotten better. Any ideas?

A hen in his coop died suddenly a few weeks ago, and I had attributed it to mold because I lost a few other young birds in housed on the same type of bedding within a few days of each other. All looked fine, then dead the next day. I do have MG in my flock, but he has no respiratory symptoms.
I'm currently putting Poultry Cell in his water, but thats it. There are no real poultry vets in my area. I have other medications available, but I dont want to throw unnecessary medications at him either.

Has anyone else experienced a chicken with ataxia and no other symptoms?

What is their diet? What bedding are they on?

He eats a generic crumble diet and gets live mealworms for treats. The suspected moldy bedding from a few weeks ago was cardboard. I had put it as a base layer (on wood flooring on my porch), then had pine shavings on top of that. I removed all the cardboard, scaped the floor, treated with EPSP in the coop, and dusted all the birds for mites at the same time. Everyone has been fine since I lost the other birds a few weeks ago. The current bedding is pine shavings on the wood plank floor, and pine shavings in the nesting box. They free range a few hours a day with supervision, and are in the coop at night or when I'm not outside with them.

 

[nuthatched]

Is the crumble for chicks or laying crumble?

 

[AutumnEffectRanch]

Is the crumble for chicks or laying crumble?

Layer Crumble

 

[nuthatched]

Layer Crumble

Roosters and birds that are currently nor laying should really be eating layer feed. I'm not sure if it's his issue, I'd try treating him for vitamin deficiency.
400 i.u vitamin E capsule and a third of b complex tablet every day for a few weeks. Any brand from the grocery store in fine.

 

[AutumnEffectRanch]

Roosters and birds that are currently nor laying should really be eating layer feed. I'm not sure if it's his issue, I'd try treating him for vitamin deficiency.
400 i.u vitamin E capsule and a third of b complex tablet every day for a few weeks. Any brand from the grocery store in fine.

I dont think I understand what you're saying about the feed. They ARE eating a layer feed. My breeder groups are housed together, so they all get the same feed.

I will absolutely try the vitamins. How do you recommend administration? Would Injectable B Complex be better vs oral?

 

[Perris]

I have a young Serama rooster (less than 1 year old), who I found laying on his back like a turtle in the coop on Monday. He was very alert, but unable to right himself. He is able to stand and walk sometimes, but other times he topples over. Comb is sometimes nice and red, sometimes tips are purple. He is still alert, eating, and drinking like normal. Poops look fantastic.

A hen in his coop died suddenly a few weeks ago, and I had attributed it to mold because I lost a few other young birds in housed on the same type of bedding within a few days of each other. All looked fine, then dead the next day.

This doesn't sound like a deficiency to me, more like something toxic (as you suspected with the hen) either ingested or in their environment. Have you tried looking up the symptoms on the vet manual? see e.g. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/searchresults?query=ataxia poultry

 

[AutumnEffectRanch]

This doesn't sound like a deficiency to me, more like something toxic (as you suspected with the hen) either ingested or in their environment. Have you tried looking up the symptoms on the vet manual? see e.g. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/searchresults?query=ataxia poultry

I'm guessing I would need to run labs to see what he may be deficient in. Is there a good overall vitamin supplement you would recommend that I try? I have Rooster Booster and Poultry Cell on hand. I'm currently only adding Poultry Cell to his water.

 

[Perris]

I'm guessing I would need to run labs to see what he may be deficient in. Is there a good overall vitamin supplement you would recommend that I try? I have Rooster Booster and Poultry Cell on hand. I'm currently only adding Poultry Cell to his water.

I said it does not sound like a deficiency to me. Rather some sort of poisoning.