Chicken panting? What's wrong?

chickens don't get worms just because they don't eat worms.
there are different kinds of worms.
dogs and cats get worms, and they don't eat worms.
does he have a pen or forage in the yard?


feed/farm/livestock stores sell chicken feed.
they also sell medicines, vitamins and wormers.
GAME BIRD feed isn't regular bird feed..it's a high protein chicken feed..

as to the cat food..and beef and liver..
I meant beef or liver flavored cat food.

it would be good to recheck his mouth and throat..it's very important to help us figure out what's wrong with him..
he's very sick and could die.

I don't use newspaper for bedding, I like pine shavings for bedding. helps keep them warm, and coop floor clean and cushioned.
does he have a roost?

are there any farm/feed/livestock stores near you?
are you able to get him some antibiotic and vitamins?(if we can figure out what's wrong with him)
 
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also...please check his crop..
the crop is a little sac near the bottom of the neck at the top of the breast, slightly to the right.

feel it and see if it is hard, feels grainy or has a lump in it..or if it is big and feels squishy or full of water or air.
do this when you re-check his mouth and throat.
 
To reiterate:

An otherwise healthy 8yr. old roo, that's always? lived in a tropical climate, experienced a sudden onset of intermittent panting accompanied by loss of appetite and weakness, with watery feces containing green and white patches. The roo was being well fed and cared for; with no previous illness or recent stress contributing...

Yeeen, if you don't have a vet handy (avian vets are hard to come by), I'd keep doing what you are doing. It's a fine thing that you care about him and are monitoring how he's doing, and hard to be in this sort of corner (lots of us have been there). Definitely try him on his favorite Highest Protein foods/treats.

You might try Aspirin (as a palliative) 5 325mg per gallon of water and see if this has any effect.

(if its not a pathogen borne illness, I'd guess cardiac???? but that's just blue skying)

Keep us posted! Expecting you'll get even more info!

Take care and good luck,

John
 
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Gape worms are parasitic worms that attach to the inside of the chickens throat. They can clog up the throat and make it hard for the bird to eat or breath. They are a real problem in tropical areas. They get them from eating earth worms and insects.

If the chicken has it's mouth open all the time, that is a sign of gape worm.

You may have to purchase worming medicine from a veternarian. When the bird gets better, make sure you feed him some sun flower seeds off and on.

Again, good luck with the bird. But, everything in this world dies eventually. It may just be his time.

Rufus
 
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Yeeen-

"Worming" a chicken should actually be called deworming. It means to give a medication to the chicken that will kill the parasitic worms but not harm the chicken. The eggs of worms are microscopic and can be picked up through normal chicken scratching/pecking behaviors. Gapeworms are parasites of the respiratory system, and they are big and red, you should be able to see them if you look down your rooster's throat. If he never has access to free range and he is the only chicken you have and you haven't visited any chickens lately then worms may be less likely. I would also be concerned for heart disease, lung disease. We don't have it in the US, but Newcastle disease causes respiratory signs and is common worldwide. This would be less likely if he is your only chicken and you or your family haven't visited any other chickens in the past 2 weeks or so.
Good luck.
 
I think I am still missing some important pieces of information....
What breed is this...
Does he have access to the outside or has he always been kept caged?
You are lucky he has not had any serious health problems before now on that diet , though it obviously has been sufficient, it is not the advised diet for a chicken...you need proper chicken feed or at a certain point the organs may be affected so that they no longer function (this may take quite a few years)... eight years is a good age and you have obviously taken excellent care of your bird!

Your bird is panting... from your answers it does not appear to be a respiratory infection... the most likely candidates are gapeworm (which would recquire a medication specifically for that) or he needs an electrolyte (oral rehydration salts> ask at your petstore specifically for an electrolyte for BIRDS) as when a bird pants excessively it produces a condition called acidosis and this throws the electrolytes out of balance .
You need to put the electrolytes in his waterer to prevent this condition and dehydration. Birds that feel unwell often stop drinking and eating and this kills them quicker than the condition causing them to feel unwell.
 
Thanks to all who reply/expressed concern for my rooster. I went to sch just now n hence the delay in replying.

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This definition sounds clearer. I misunderstood worming as feeding the chicken with worms...

Our only chicken now. No visit to other chickens before.
 

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