Cockerel has mucas help!

[Pebbles25]

Hi,
I have an almost 5 month old black copper maran cockerel, he is the newest edition to the flock so gets a bit picked on still. I got him just over a month ago. The other day we found him choking on a large strand of silicone (from our building work) my family member who found him managed to pull it all out and he seemed fine. On Thursday I found him covered in mucas so I got him inside. His throat was really swollen as well. Later on tursday the mucas had cleared and he wanted to eat and was talking and so much more energetic. Yesterday I felt his crop and it was very squishy but didn’t feel like a balloon and he had no foul smelling breath. Usually I can feel the pellets in their crops so I sort of followed instructions for treating sour crop. I’m going to put him outside tonight so the others don’t forget him. I’m just trying to work out if the mucas was stress or he as a crop problem. I don’t think he got impacted crop (my other cockerel had it a week ago and he was doing throwing up movements so I knew something was up.)
Whenever I look online about mucas it says it might be a respiratory infection, but he seems better now. He doesn’t have a swollen face or foamy eyes. Poop looks normalish. Some looks very brown and more watery and smelly.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

You may want to complete your title, all I see is "Co".

What is a strand of silicone?

Perhaps pulling it out caused some swelling, inflammation or damage to the esophagus. It would be hard to know.

If the crop is not emptying overnight (check first thing in the morning before the bird eats/drink), then access and treat as suggested in the article below.

Do you think there may be more silicone that he swallowed?

Since he's new to you and your property, consider getting a fecal float to see if he needs treated for worms and/or Coccidiosis too.

Being picked on is stressful and he may be having a hard time getting to food/water, see that he's eating well and staying hydrated.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How many birds do you have, total? How big is the coop, in feet (LXW) and how big is the run (L x W) in feet? Do you have more than one feedng and watering stations? If yes, can a bird eating/ drinking at one station be seen from the other? If so, fix it so they can't. You need to be sure the new bird has plenty of opportunity to eat & drink.

 

[Pebbles25]

Update: This morning he was excited to eat with the rest of my flock. His crop was empty when I put him out after letting it empty for 24 hrs and dosing him with Apple cider vinegar. Do you think it’s safe to say he doesn’t have a respiratory infection, his mucas has cleared. He does ‘yawn’ and always has done quite a bit but it could be just me being paranoid! No other birds have been showing symptoms. Here are some photos of him on Thursday with the mucas.

 

[Pebbles25]

Welcome To BYC

You may want to complete your title, all I see is "Co".

What is a strand of silicone?

Perhaps pulling it out caused some swelling, inflammation or damage to the esophagus. It would be hard to know.

If the crop is not emptying overnight (check first thing in the morning before the bird eats/drink), then access and treat as suggested in the article below.

Do you think there may be more silicone that he swallowed?

Since he's new to you and your property, consider getting a fecal float to see if he needs treated for worms and/or Coccidiosis too.

Being picked on is stressful and he may be having a hard time getting to food/water, see that he's eating well and staying hydrated.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Sorry it accidentally sent before I had checked everything!
The silicone was from our builders so like a window seal type thing. His crop did empty. I try and naturally worm them with yogurt and ACV. Is there a way to know if they have worms. I will look into a fecal float though. There is no blood in his droppings and he doesn’t seem very lethargic anymore. He seems to eat and drink enough.

 

[Pebbles25]

How many birds do you have, total? How big is the coop, in feet (LXW) and how big is the run (L x W) in feet? Do you have more than oe feedng and watering stations? If yes, can a bird eating/ drinking at one station be seen from the other? If so, fix it so they can't. You need to be sure the new bird has plenty of opportunity to eat & drink.

i have 14 birds in 2 coops that can squish in 13 birds each. He roosts with 4-5 other birds in one coop. They free range about half and acre so plenty of space. I will admit that the coop he has been currently roosting in has a problem with the rain coming in and has mites even though I have creacoted it. https://www.diy.com/departments/bar...llis-creocote-wood-treatment-4l/708929_BQ.prd
I have a treadle feeder where 6-7 birds can feed at a time. I generally give the others some feed on the floor and push the ones that are eating away to let the others eat too. I do ‘measure’ what they eat to get them to forage more so I pay less for feed. I make sure their crops are full at night and they are continually laying eggs and not decreasing. I have one watered 8 birds can drink at a time. I see François (the sick cockerel) drinking and eating while the others are free ranging. His crop gets filled.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

have 14 birds in 2 coops that can squish in 13 birds each.

Please post the actual measurements of the coops in feet, length x width, thank you. How many birds sleep in each coop? This information will help us help you.

measure’ what they eat to get them to forage more so I pay less for feed. I

What do they forage on? You say they forage, but what sort of vegetation is available to them? One feeder and one waterer is probably not enough for 14 birds. Some birds may get bullied away from the feeding and watering stations. It's best to have multiple stations, situated so a bird at one station cannot be seen from the other stations.

You need to check your rooster's crop in the morning to be sure it is emptying overnight. Check that and report back, please. Was he sneezing out the mucus or where was it coming from?

 

[Pebbles25]

Please post the actual measurements of the coops in feet, length x width, thank you. How many birds sleep in each coop? This information will help us help you.


What do they forage on? You say they forage, but what sort of vegetation is available to them? One feeder and one waterer is probably not enough for 14 birds. Some birds may get bullied away from the feeding and watering stations. It's best to have multiple stations, situated so a bird at one station cannot be seen from the other stations.

You need to check your rooster's crop in the morning to be sure it is emptying overnight. Check that and report back, please. Was he sneezing out the mucus or where was it coming from?

Each coop is about 3.94f x 4f. I let them choose usually 8-10 hens sleep in one and 4-6 birds in the other (including this sick one) They have half an acre of our property but some of them frequently fly over to our neighbours sheep field and hay field. They eat any of our plants, weeds and grass as well as table scraps including kefir and sourdough starter. From 10 2 year old hens I get 6-8 eggs a day.
I make sure there is still feed in the trough after the initial run for the food. I see François eating and drinking, the chickens leave the feeder alone for most of the day. They then get corn scattered around so they all can eat at a time. His crop is full every night and this morning he was first on the treadle feeder and no one pecked him off. He wasn’t sneezing the mucas out. It was coming from his mouth. Thank you!

 

[Pebbles25]

Here are my birds eating corn today
The black copper maran cockerel is eating at the bottom left!

 

[Pebbles25]

I want to know though can I be sure that it’s not a respiratory infection as our neighbour would like some eggs.