Hoarse rooster

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

My rooster was fine yesterday. Crowed normally, looked normal, behaved normal.

This morning he sounded like in this video. I watched him crow, and he's completing the crow physically, but the final note of his crow is a very quiet wheeze. If a normal crow is er-er-errrrr, he is doing er-er-wheeeeeeze

I leave for work before the chickens are up, so I was not able to check him over yet (he's hostile first thing in the morning, and I was already rocking the skirt & rubber chicken boots look, so I couldn't get into it with him). I just got close enough with a flashlight to watch him crow.

Hubs looked him over a little better this morning and reported that he didn't see anything suspicious on his face, and didn't notice anything else "off" with him. I'll give him a full once-over when I get home this evening. But in the meantime, I wanted to ask for opinions here. A quick BYC search of "hoarse rooster" or "rooster lost his voice" or "rooster can't crow" seems to indicate respiratory issues. But yesterday I hung out with the flock and saw no indication of respiratory issues with him or any of the hens. Is it possible he just lost his voice? I know humans and dogs can injure their vocal chords, is that a thing with roosters? Or is a rooster w/ crowing issues a very strong sign of respiratory issues and I should to stop for meds on the way home from work? I appreciate any insight.

ETA: video does not have an image- sound only- I was in a dark coop.

 

[dawg53]

It doesn't sound like a respiratory disease type issue to me, especially since he sounded normal yesterday.
When you get the chance, open his mouth and inspect inside his mouth. Also look as far back inside his mouth for anything out of the ordinary. Examples are feed granules stuck to the inside of his mouth, lesions, yellow plaque, necrotic looking skin, small white splotches or anything else out of the ordinary. Smell his breath while you're at it, let us know what it smells like.
Hopefully you wont see anything and this is just a one time event.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

It doesn't sound like a respiratory disease type issue to me, especially since he sounded normal yesterday.
When you get the chance, open his mouth and inspect inside his mouth. Also look as far back inside his mouth for anything out of the ordinary. Examples are feed granules stuck to the inside of his mouth, lesions, yellow plaque, necrotic looking skin, small white splotches or anything else out of the ordinary. Smell his breath while you're at it, let us know what it smells like.
Hopefully you wont see anything and this is just a one time event.

Got home from work and he’s crowing up a storm- just like normal! Not sure what was the cause, but it seems to have sorted itself out.

 

[dawg53]

Got home from work and he’s crowing up a storm- just like normal! Not sure what was the cause, but it seems to have sorted itself out.

Music to your ears!

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Okay, apparently I spoke (or crowed) too soon. Charcoal has been crowing fine since I got home from work at 4. Around 5 I noticed a slight… variation in his crow. And now (6:30) he’s becoming hoarse again.

He’s not as bad as before, but now if a normal crow is “er-er-errrrr”, he’s now going “er-er-er…wheeze…er.” He sounds like he’s been screaming his lungs out at a Taylor Swift concert, and his voice is fizzling out.

He still looks and acts fine. Nothing inside his mouth/throat that I can see. Eyes and nostrils are clean. Everyone looks healthy. I really think he’s losing his voice.

 

[dawg53]

Did you get a chance to smell his breath, possible sour crop?

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Did you get a chance to smell his breath, possible sour crop?

I didn’t notice a smell, but I’m going to offer some yogurt and ACV today just in case.

He has his crow back this morning, but it’s not as strong as usual- a little raspy.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Three months later, and Charcoal is doing just fine. Never foudn a cause for his mute crowing or hoarseness. It lasted quite a while- his crow would get stronger (almost normal) and weaker (99% mute). But eventually he went back to normal. I'm sticking to my original "diagnosis" of an injured vocal chord.