Rooster wheezing?? Help!!

[branston]

I have 30 free ranging chickens, two of which are roos. This morning I let them out of the coop and heard the top roo wheezing (it was loud, couldn't mistake it for anything else). The two roos then had a scuffle and the top roo ran which is really unusual as the other roo is normally the one to run. The second in command chased the top roo into the coop and when I got in there, the top roo was cowering in the corner breathless and the other roo was on top of him???? I got him off quickly and carried the other roo into a pen in my garage where he has continued to wheeze. None of my others have this problem. What is it? How do I treat? With what do I treat? and will the others get this? Many thanks in advance

 

[branston]

Come on you experts......I'm desperate here! I'm coming up with Infectious Bronchitis in my books.....am I right? I've given him some Vortex in the his water this morning and Sulmet antibiotic tonight and he's in my garage segregated but I still here the wheezing????? Everyone else seems to be fine? Please help! Our chickens are our pets and we don't want to lose any

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

I would say you are doing what you can. Have you considered taking the bird to a vet?

 

[dsfrango]

I have/had a similar situation. I actually just put my roo inside my room this morning! A couple of my chickens were wheezing a few weeks ago. No other common symptoms like weak or slow disorientation.(Usually they die with those symptoms

). Just the wheezing is easier for them to get over. I added some vinegar, vitamins(Gatorade mix) and antibiotics. There was a noticeable difference after a few days. There better but now it seems my sebright cockerel got the same thing and is wheezing badly. Hopefully my homemade mix helps him

. Try this and keep us updated if it works.

Vets are last resort, not saying mine dont mean the world to me but a 5-10$ chicken costing a 40-75$ vet trip. Not sure if its worth it

 

[branston]

Thanks so much for that. Day 3 and he's still wheezing. Other than that he's eating, drinking, walking, bright eyed, no mucus and he's not ruffled. I'm definitely thing infectious bronchitis or gape worm, however he's not really gaping. I've seen him gape only a couple of times and some of my others too but it's rare. They free range. I'm treating him with VetRX and Sulmet in his water. Today I'm giving him some electrolites & vits. If I don't get rid of the wheezing in two days, I'm going to treat for gape (I only have Wazine so I hope that will get rid of gape worms if that's what it is). What's going on here on this forum? There used to be many, many answers to questions? Where has everyone gone??

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

I have/had a similar situation. I actually just put my roo inside my room this morning! A couple of my chickens were wheezing a few weeks ago. No other common symptoms like weak or slow disorientation.(Usually they die with those symptoms

). Just the wheezing is easier for them to get over. I added some vinegar, vitamins(Gatorade mix) and antibiotics. There was a noticeable difference after a few days. There better but now it seems my sebright cockerel got the same thing and is wheezing badly. Hopefully my homemade mix helps him

. Try this and keep us updated if it works.

Vets are last resort, not saying mine dont mean the world to me but a 5-10$ chicken costing a 40-75$ vet trip. Not sure if its worth it

The OP stated that their chickens are pets and they don't want to lose any. They also complained in another thread that they were not getting any replies to this thread. If your pet
is sick and you can't get advice online.... You might be better off taking action.

 

[fluffychooks]

The chickens in question should be checked for gape worm, which will cause open mouthed, laboured breathing. There will be a small (but visible) reddish "Y" shaped worm (male and female mated and joined together) at the back of the throat, obstructing breathing. There are several meds available to treat gapeworm- I believe Flubenvet will kill the worms. If the cockrel doesn't respond to the worming meds, he may need antibiotics (though it sounds like it is not a respiratory infection, as he would have other symptoms, like foamy eyes, sneezing, mucky nostrils, gurgling...). If that is the case, skip the terramycin (not extremely effective) and the tetramycene (about the same as terramycin) as they will not likely touch a chronic infection. High doses of baytril (15 mg/kg, twice a day, for 7 days, orally or injected IM) or tylan injectable (35 mg/kg, two to three times a day, orally or IM for 7-10 days) is your best bet. I still suspect gapeworm...

 

[fluffychooks]

ps i hope they get better soon