Non-Emergent: Cockeral Wheezes after Crowing

[PioneerChicks]

I feel sort of guilty posting this when others have much more urgent problems, but I'll do it anyway.

My eight month old silkie rooster, Peter, wheezes after he crows. I'm not sure, but I think this is new. I noticed it yesterday morning, because he crowed several times. He crows, then sharply wheezes an inward breath that holds for about one second before stopping (it is such a loud wheeze that I can still hear it when I am a few feet away). I haven't noticed him wheezing at any other time. It doesn't seem to bother him as I saw him peck and scratch at the dirt directly after crowing while he was still wheezing.

Peter did get a leg injury when he was only a couple months old, but that healed in within weeks. Every once in a while I do see him favor that leg, but not often. I don't think that could be related to the wheezing, I'm just trying to give as much information as possible.

I can't take a video (so please don't ask for one), but I do have a picture of him crowing from a few days ago. At the time I took the picture I didn't hear him wheezing, but I wasn't really listening.


I'd like to know what's going on. My other roosters don't wheeze, only Peter. Any information will be appreciated.

 

[MountainWoman73]

There might be something wrong, but there might not be. We had a banty called Foghorn who never quite got the hang of crowing, and he always sounded like that. It was quite comical.

 

[Henry&Friends]

I feel sort of guilty posting this when others have much more urgent problems, but I'll do it anyway.

don’t feel bad for asking for advice because you feel this isn’t urgent— it’s what we’re here for.

He crows, then sharply wheezes an inward breath that holds for about one second before stopping (it is such a loud wheeze that I can still hear it when I am a few feet away). I haven't noticed him wheezing at any other time.

I had a rooster, Henry VIII II. He had done this post crow wheeze sometimes, but I never thought much of it. He was also otherwise unbothered by this, never had problems breathing or anything. I figured he was just catching his breath or something, and my new rooster (Henry VIII III) doesn’t crow near anybody so I can’t confirm if he does this too.

I would keep an eye on him, in a few days he may stop or he may continue, but if he begins to display problems then at least you’re already aware of this one.

 

[Eggcessive]

One of my roosters always had that same groan or wheeze after each crow. It never seemed to be a problem, and he lived for 8 years.

 

[DdachickenBoy]

He might have an upper respiratory issue. Chickens get upper respiratory stuff very easily!

 

[PioneerChicks]

don’t feel bad for asking for advice because you feel this isn’t urgent— it’s what we’re here for.

Thanks!

He might have an upper respiratory issue. Chickens get upper respiratory stuff very easily!

What kind of upper respiratory issue do you think it would be if there is one, @DdachickenBoy? And are there any other signs I can look for?

 

[PioneerChicks]

Thanks everybody for you advice! Your rooster stories all sound interesting!

 

[DdachickenBoy]

Thanks!


What kind of upper respiratory issue do you think it would be if there is one, @DdachickenBoy? And are there any other signs I can look for?

It could be too much dust it could be somebody burning something near you and the smoke affecting him that has happened to me quite a bit! I recommend you get a vet to come check! Not a lot of people use vets but I have mine checked on by vets cause I think chickens matter just as much as anything else!

 

[PioneerChicks]

It could be too much dust it could be somebody burning something near you and the smoke affecting him that has happened to me quite a bit! I recommend you get a vet to come check! Not a lot of people use vets but I have mine checked on by vets cause I think chickens matter just as much as anything else!

Nobody has been burning anything near that I know of, and it's not very dusty here, except when they dust-bathe. I'll keep an eye on him and the sky (for smoke). Thanks!

 

[coach723]

Might be completely normal, if you can do a video and put it on youtube and put the link here, it might help if others could hear it. I have a 4 year old rooster that has always wheezed/groaned on the inhale after a big crow, he's never had a respiratory infection. I think it's just a function of the anatomy of their throat which makes them able to crow in the first place. I've had cockerels make the same noise after death during processing when air is forced through the trachea inadvertently (which can be a little disconcerting), so in those cases it's just a matter of the air passing through.