I think My Rooster Is Sick

[jenigator]

My rooster has been crowing for a couple of months now. He has a pretty healthy crow. A couple of days ago I noticed a sort of raspy sound each time he crowed. He's still doing it. Each time he crows, when he takes his next breath, it sounds like wheezing. He still has all his energy and doesn't appear to be sick other than the noise he is making. It also only happens when he crows. I don't notice the sound any other time. Do you think he may be sick?

 

[Michael Apple]

My rooster has been crowing for a couple of months now. He has a pretty healthy crow. A couple of days ago I noticed a sort of raspy sound each time he crowed. He's still doing it. Each time he crows, when he takes his next breath, it sounds like wheezing. He still has all his energy and doesn't appear to be sick other than the noise he is making. It also only happens when he crows. I don't notice the sound any other time. Do you think he may be sick?

Sounds like CRD (Chronic Respiratory Disorder). Raspy crows, wheezing are beginning symptoms. First, look down the bird's throat with a flashlight and tell me what you see. If it is CRD it can be passed from bird to bird in drinking water or it can be airborne. Flock treatment is mixing equal parts chlortetracycline and Gallimycin together dry in a jar, and give 1 tsp per gallon of water each day for 14 days.

If you are going to separate the cockerel, individual treatment is Tylan 50 @ .5 cc shot under the skin on the back of the neck for 5 days. If the bird is 5 lbs or more, give another .5 cc shot in the breast muscle.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post a video of your rooster crowing? My rooster always makes a noisy moan after each crow, and he is perfectly normal. My other roosters don't do this.

 

[Wyandottes7]

It sounds like the beginning of a respiratory disease. Isolate him immediately, as respiratory diseases spread quickly and can be serious. As to the exact respiratory disease that he has, it is difficult to tell. It could be a viral disease, or a bacterial one.

I'd isolate him, and start giving him some electrolytes and probiotics. Keep him out of drafts and monitor him closely. Make sure that he eats enough. If he isn't eating enough, tempt him into eating with some scrambled eggs, moistened chicken feed, or applesauce. You can also give him some raw egg yolk, and yogurt.

If you don't see any improvement, or if he gets worse, it is probably a bacterial disease like Chronic Respiratory Disease. If you want to treat the whole flock, or if you don't feel comfortable giving injections, you can start out with a water soluable antibiotic like Duramycin, Terramycin, or Tetroxy HCA-280. However, a better antibiotic would be Tylan50.

Tylan50 is given as an injection generally, but can be given orally as well. Injecting is better, as it treats the bird quicker. Give 1cc for large fowl chickens or large birds, and .5ccs for bantams or small birds. You'll need some small needles (20-22 gauge) and some syringes. Inject it into the breast muscle, switching breast sides daily to prevent too much irritation. Give Tylan50 once a day for five days. If its working, you should see improvement by the third day.

Keep in mind that many respiratory diseases make birds carriers. This means that they can spread it to other birds, even if they don't show the symptoms. They may show the symptoms during signs of stress. Of course, sometimes birds that recover don't ever show the symptoms again. It all depends on how stressful their life is, and how resistant they are to the disease.

It is possible that this is not a respiratory disease. When my roosters crow, they often draw in their breath quickly, and make a sort of squeaky sound some of the time. Sometimes, it sounds like a sort of moan.

Hope this helps!

 

[Michael Apple]

Tylan 50, the injectable, should not be recommended for oral use. Aspiration is too big a risk, especially to new people.

There is a Tylan soluble powder that is to be used in water.

 

[Suzierd]

I would try giving him some olive oil first and see if there's anything stuck in his throat.

 

[Shabana]

I have used the soluble tylan before to treat CRD / Mycoplasmosis. In the UK we can't get the inject-able stuff. I also used a couple of smoke bombs in the coop which are herbal and help clear airways. I would check the coop once they are asleep and quiety listen outside - CRD is always worse at night and they can sound much worse while roosting at night and it would help to confirm that this is indeed what you are dealing with.

I would also check he has been wormed as gapeworm can also cause problems with breathing.

Best of luck x

 

[jenigator]

My husband are checking on the rooster today and I will let you guys know what we observe. Can they catch a cold when the weather starts cooling off? It gets down in the 50s at night now and will continue to cool off more real soon.

 

[jenigator]

Yea it sounds like a moan as soon as he finishes crowing - like he's gasping for air.

 

[misssavage15]

I have recently experienced the same thing with my rooster. He actually got really sick with an upper respiratory infection. I got some antibiotic treatment to put in his water. Now he is slowly recovering. You can put the powder in their water ahead of time to prevent future illness.