Is this a cough?

[vidpro23]

my rooster started making this "something stuck in throat" type wheezy noise yesterday. Now almost constant

is this a problem? (my first batch of chickens noob)

see video

tia!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i couldnt hear anything but if the roo looks healthy, is it young? when they first start crowing they make all kinds of weird noises

 

[Ninamm]

Vid, Yes that is a cough. One of my young pullets is doing the same thing. I thought she was choking but it's a cough and she had bubbles in one of her eyes too. I add apple cider vinegar to their water to help keep them healthy.I am in California and we have had warm days and chilly nights so I think my girls have a cold going around. It doesn't seem to last very long. Also if you add Vet Rx (for poultry)to their water containers (plastic containers only) that helps with colds and other aliments.

 

[PurplePoppiPpl]

i purchased VetRx today because i have been having "cold" type problems with my mature flock and just noticed some of my three week old chicks sneezing would you recommend it?

 

[Eggcessive]

my rooster started making this "something stuck in throat" type wheezy noise yesterday. Now almost constant

is this a problem? (my first batch of chickens noob)

see video

tia!

I can here him making some sort of coughing sound. I would get help and look inside his beak down the throat to make sure there is nothing stuck or any unusual tissue (yellow cheesy) in there causing a problem. Also notice any facial or eye swelling, eye bubbles, eye or nasal drainage. These could be signs of respiratory infection such as infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma, or coryza. An yellow patches in the throat could be viral or fungal. A good antibiotic to start him on would be oxytetracycline (terramycin) or Tylan powder in the water. Tylan50 injectable is good if you want to give a shot.

 

[vidpro23]

Thanks for the thoughts - he is young and very healthy looking, but I will catch him tomorrow for closer examination when I have a helper

 

[Ninamm]

No sure for chicks but older ones yes...I too looked in my hen's mouth and there was nothing in her throat at all. Definately was/is a cough. Poor babies need scarves and booties and caps at night!!!

 

[vidpro23]

This morning he didnt look good - stronger gasping and sitting alone in coop - went out to check on him an hour later and he was dead

Absolutely not one sign I could see of sickness,...visually outside,... and during autopsy. Everything pink and healthy

so strange. My first flock member to die. i sat quietly and listened to the girls for about ten minutes , thankfully no others with usual sounds. Worried.

he was young - didnt crow and scared of his own shadow,..the girls all chased him around. Dont know if he would have grown out of that or not :-(

 

[cafarmgirl]

He may have developed pneumonia. When birds get any kind of respiratory disease it's very common for them to develop pneumonia as a complication. It can happen quickly and sometimes it's not obvious. They may show classic wheezing/rattling when they breath or the only sign they may show is lethargy and fever. However if you listen with a stethoscope to these "silent" cases you will then hear the rattling and crackling in the lungs.

On the topic of VetRx? It is not a medication and it will not cure anything. It is similar to humans using a VIck's inhaler in that it may help with breathing. I did use it a couple years ago when my flock had an outbreak of Infectious Bronchitis. Chickens do not get colds, they get respiratory diseases which are much more serious and have long standing consequences as compared to simple colds in humans. If a person has chickens in the flock who have "colds" they have a disease and, whatever it is, will likely be recurring during their lifetime.

vidpro23: Watch your remaining birds very closely. If any more start showing any symptoms it would be wise to start them on antibiotic's. Tylan 50 is a very good one for respiratory issues. Some of these diseases are bacterial, some are viral. Regardless of what's going on in your flock all of these diseases have the potential to morph into pneumonia/secondary bacterial infections. If more birds start to get sick antibiotic's will seriously lower the mortality rate.