ECCENTRIC, NORMAL OR......SICK / GAPE WORMS?

[Oma]

I have a welsummer roo that sounds like he's gargling when he crows. And several of my roos do that head shake thing.

 

[annmarie]

I wish I knew something about gape worms, but I've been fortunate enough so far to not have to know about gape worms! Hopefully someone can explain the symptoms a little bit.
Is it possible that he's molting? One of my hen's was shaking her head and doing that gaping thing with her mouth a little more than normal about a month ago and it turned out she was molting and swallowing a lot of her feathers when she groomed herself.

 

[tdgill]

i say...i say now, boy, why u wanna? i say, why you wanna go on shakin and a twitchin I said a twitchin, your head like that. ain't ya? i say ain't ya got no sense?

 

[MoodyChicken]

Gape worms can be seen in the trachea. They're red and forked.

How often does he shake his head? And by shake, do you mean swaying or shaking/shivering/vibrating? Large roosters like to shake their heads from side to side. It's a cocky thing. They do it to shake their wattles. Lol. It's pretty cute. If it's only the rooster that's shaking, I'd say he's just airing out his wattles.

 

[tdgill]

in my case its like a quick twitch, they do it for a while a few minutes then dont do it at all on second thought they do it alot.......i seriously thought it was their down tickling them as it was coming out