My rooster gasps for air!

[Eltopo]

Generally speaking, my chickens live a pretty healthy life and are free to roam around every weekend, but today I faced this very unusual situation. The eldest of my roosters (which may be 3 or 4 years old) is having trouble breathing, it sounds whistle-y and watery, as if the had some kind of bronquittis. I don't know how to proceed, as I have never encountered a situation like this before. What should I give him?

 

[ashlierami]

Generally speaking, my chickens live a pretty healthy life and are free to roam around every weekend, but today I faced this very unusual situation. The eldest of my roosters (which may be 3 or 4 years old) is having trouble breathing, it sounds whistle-y and watery, as if the had some kind of bronquittis. I don't know how to proceed, as I have never encountered a situation like this before. What should I give him?

I see this in my flock occasionally due to one of two reasons. First is Ammonia in the coop where they sleep being built up ans the litter needing changing . Second is when they are dealing with a respiratory illness. Is your litter is okay and not built up and smelly then it may be reason 2. If your coop is smelly and is strong to you then it's very strong to your birds and i would do a clean out. When mine go through this respiratory thing I apply vetrx to their wattles and a couple drops down the throat at night. I do this for about 3 or 4 nights and Usuallly they get better. I do this if there are no major symptoms and they are eating and acting normal besides the breathing issue. If they are getting worse then I use tylan 50 but I only do this when they are sneezing, coughing, not eating or drinking, laying around, and producing mucus. If you decide it's an ammonia issue then there shouldn't be a reason to seperate. If it's respiratory then it could be spread to the others.

 

[Eltopo]

I see this in my flock occasionally due to one of two reasons. First is Ammonia in the coop where they sleep being built up ans the litter needing changing . Second is when they are dealing with a respiratory illness. Is your litter is okay and not built up and smelly then it may be reason 2. If your coop is smelly and is strong to you then it's very strong to your birds and i would do a clean out. When mine go through this respiratory thing I apply vetrx to their wattles and a couple drops down the throat at night. I do this for about 3 or 4 nights and Usuallly they get better. I do this if there are no major symptoms and they are eating and acting normal besides the breathing issue. If they are getting worse then I use tylan 50 but I only do this when they are sneezing, coughing, not eating or drinking, laying around, and producing mucus. If you decide it's an ammonia issue then there shouldn't be a reason to seperate. If it's respiratory then it could be spread to the others.

Thank you. He seemed to have stabilized in the afternoon, but tomorrow I'll check him again. I doubt it's the coop really, since it doesn't have any weird smell in particular and it was built about 2 months ago. We also regularly spread grass collected from the lawnmower, so they won't have to stand on dry dirt and stones.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Generally speaking, my chickens live a pretty healthy life and are free to roam around every weekend, but today I faced this very unusual situation. The eldest of my roosters (which may be 3 or 4 years old) is having trouble breathing, it sounds whistle-y and watery, as if the had some kind of bronquittis. I don't know how to proceed, as I have never encountered a situation like this before. What should I give him?

Have you checked inside his beak for any plaques, canker, yellow/cheesy material or obstruction?
Check his crop to make sure it's empty in the morning before he eats/drinks too.

It can be hard to know the cause of symptoms like that. As mentioned ammonia can cause difficulties, as well as, respiratory disease. A heart condition could be another cause.
Have you added any new chickens to your property in the last 30days?