HELP! Sammy Davis Jr. lost his song!

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

Recently our small black rooster has lost his voice...We started noticing his "cock-a-doodle-doo" was sounding like someone with laringitis. Within 2 weeks his voice is now nothing but a squeek. Not normal, as he usually has an unusual musical crow, hense his name "Sammy Davis Jr." lol. He does stretch his neck out like we read in an article they might do if the have Gape worms. (did I spell that right?) My husband feeds the flock crunched up doritos on the back porch at night for a snack, they love it and are there every night awaiting their chips. He recently switched to BBQ flavored Lays potato chips, they're a bit spicier, So, we're wondering if the chips are doing this to him, harshing out his throat? (we quit feeding them the chips just in case) or if he does have worms. If it is worms, we read Ivormectin is what you use to worm them. Anyone know what's the best way to do it and how much to give him? And should we give it to the hens as well, just in case?
Thanks,
K

 

[CMV]

Before worming him, I'd check him to make sure he actually has them. Swirl a q-tip down his throat. ( Like getting a throat swab at the doctor for us.) If the swab comes out with reddish thread-like things on it, then you are seeing gape worms and your roo should be treated. I don't advocate for treating problems unless they are actually there.

 

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

Can you think of anything else that would cause these symptoms? I can't say either of us are too crazy about sticking a q-tip down a roosters throat, lol. Even if he is a small bird.

 

[theFox]

I doubt if the BBQ chip change even registered with your birds.

We do a bit of caning and one of the items we can is a green tomato relish, it has hot peppers and this year we used three different ones, plenty of kick in the relish. We also save all of the seeds and such and the girls get them as a treat. They didn't even notice, you or I would have been running for something to put out the fire with.

 

[CMV]

Sammy Davis Jr. :

Can you think of anything else that would cause these symptoms? I can't say either of us are too crazy about sticking a q-tip down a roosters throat, lol. Even if he is a small bird.

Yeah, several viruses, including the Avian flu. As far as I know, gape worms don't cause laryngitis. They can cause breathing difficulties and "chest rattles", but I've not heard of laryngitis being a symptom of gape worms.​

 

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

YIKES! Bird flu???? Holy crap. Isn't that the dangerous virus the whole planet was freaking out about a few years ago? Now I'm a bit twitterpaited about this. How will we know what it is?? So what would you recommend we do here? Take him to the vet? Is there a way to have him tested for virus's by a vet? We've been giving him a "fruit salad" so to speak for a few days, hoping some vitamin C will boost his immune sysytem if it is an illness of some sort, he loves the it. We both just assumed the salty chips we'd been feeding him were harshing his throat out, and maybe the fruit would help heal it, if that's what it is. It's always been just Sammy and "Henny Penny" out here, but we've acquired 5 new hens about a month and a half ago, maybe they brought in something? Anyone who has an idea please let us know!!!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Were the newer birds quarantined when they came in? Did any of the new birds show any odd symptoms?

 

[drumstick diva]

I hope Sammy will be fine and recover his voice . Does he have any other symptoms that you notice?? Is he still eating, drinking, scratching and acting like a chicken err rooster otherwise? If you can afford it I would suggest seeing a vet (preferably one who knows a bit about chickens) just in case it may be flu that could be spread to humans etc. Do you think he may have eaten something that isn't edible and scratched his throat?

 

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

No they weren't quarantined, (oops) we got them from a local feed store in town, they were full grown hens, not chicks. They seem completely healthy, and very friendly...very pleased with them. My mother lives right next door and got a whole bunch at the same time, young and adult. She had one young rooster that had similar symptoms, scratchy crow and what she described as sounding like a cough, so after reading some article somewhere, she gave him mineral oil and his crow is back to normal and seems fine. We gave Sammy some mineral oil last night , just to see if it helped anything...it didn't. These birds are really my husband and mothers deal, not mine...but I seem to be getting involved quickly here, I just want this resolved. Talk of bird flu is freaking me out! HELP!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Don't worry about the bird flu, it would be highly unlikely to jump to humans in your backyard. It's an odd long shot but I just finished reading about poultry ticks and how they cause tick paralysis. It sometimes first shows up by affecting the vocal cords. Here's the link to the Merck Vet. Manual where they discuss it (half-way down the page: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/102600.htm&word=poultry,ticks). It's certainly easy to determine if you have them, look closely at the roosts about 30 min. after sunset and see if they are there. Here is a link to a page with pics: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=401831 Good luck with little Sammy Davis Jr!