[Casey76]

I'm a bit concerned about my big boy Tacheté.

Last week he had a bit of a fright.  He was wandering around my veggie patch when one of next doors cats jumped out, and he ended up getting caught up in my veg netting.  He was unharmed apart from a teeny cut on his comb from the net (I was there to see it happen, so he was released from the netting immediately).  As I had hold of him, I took the opportunity to trim his bottom feathers as he has always had a bit of a mucky bottom (from being a weeny chick) because he doesn't "drop his knickers" like the hens do.

Over the weekend I noticed that his mucky bottom in now about 10times worse than it was, to the point I was extremely concerned about coccidiosis, but his stools are all normal looking - watery but normal (no blood, "bits", foam etc).

last night he was first in the coop, and he was last out this morning, and although brighter than he has been over the past couple of days, still seemed quiet and a bit depressed.  He hasn't crowed in 2 days.

Bearing in mind that I cannot catch him (or at least not without causing considerable stress), is there anything I can do.  His mucky bottom looks very unpleasant and he is starting to walk a bit spraddle legged (I can sympathise having a bottom like that!).

Everyone else in the flock, including the other cockerel, are perfectly normal, eating, pooing and active.

Thanks for any suggestions

[azubah]

I think the only thing you can do is to catch him and clean him up.
I understand that this may not be easy, but if his feathers are all sticking together he may just be very uncomfortable or fly blown.

Could you get him in a big net?

[too many girls]

i would catch him when he's roosting and half asleep, at least then you can have a good look at his bum and check at the same time for any creepie crawlies such as lice ect.

[kitkat]

I think you really need to investigate, and bath him. One of my hens hatched chicks and she'd messed the nest, i left her for 3 days because of the chicks but she had an infection and had to go to the vets.