Not sure what to label this, rooster help?

[ShannonR]

I can’t 100% be sure what the vet wants to do for the surgery but pretty sure it is to do with the possible cardiac infection they were suggested.

There’s nothing that signals infection to me? I’ve dealt with infections on animals before of the respiratory kind and in wounds and this isn’t showing me any clear signs of infection? I’m seeing constantly moist tissue that is dying as it’s only on the one side ?
But this is in part why I want the vet to do it! They can cauterize it to stop bleeding plus they can do it in a lot cleaner and safer environment than I could provide.

I would definitely discuss having the vet do the procedure that you want done.... it's your chicken! I know nothing of the cardiac surgery stuff, seems like an odd operation for a chicken. It seems logical to take care of the comb issue first, instead of a more involved surgery. If no improvement then yes, maybe the cardiac procedure. But, that sounds pricey.

 

[azygous]

I have two roosters with very heavy single combs and they're weighing down on their nares. I've thought about how they manage to breathe, but they both seem unhindered in their daily activities.

Recently, I had a hen with obstructed nares that couldn't breathe very well. She had a slight discharge that seemed to be an issue. I used terramycin ointment on her nares for a week, and it helped.

My take is that he's normal in every respect, good comb color, good level of energy, that I would not do anything drastic at this time. I don't believe he has a cardio problem or his comb color would be much duller.

If he becomes noticeably more inclined to open beak breathing, then comb dubbing might be considered. I've done partial comb dubbing on a hen once that had an overly large comb the others were always ripping off her scalp. It's not complicated surgery, you simply trim away the undesired tissue, cope with the profuse bleeding, and it heals in quick order.

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

I would definitely discuss having the vet do the procedure that you want done.... it's your chicken! I know nothing of the cardiac surgery stuff, seems like an odd operation for a chicken. It seems logical to take care of the comb issue first, instead of a more involved surgery. If no improvement then yes, maybe the cardiac procedure. But, that sounds pricey.

Thank you!! I’ll be sure to make the point of the improvement if we just partially dub it and not go into a deeper surgery

I have two roosters with very heavy single combs and they're weighing down on their nares. I've thought about how they manage to breathe, but they both seem unhindered in their daily activities.

Recently, I had a hen with obstructed nares that couldn't breathe very well. She had a slight discharge that seemed to be an issue. I used terramycin ointment on her nares for a week, and it helped.

My take is that he's normal in every respect, good comb color, good level of energy, that I would not do anything drastic at this time. I don't believe he has a cardio problem or his comb color would be much duller.

If he becomes noticeably more inclined to open beak breathing, then comb dubbing might be considered. I've done partial comb dubbing on a hen once that had an overly large comb the others were always ripping off her scalp. It's not complicated surgery, you simply trim away the undesired tissue, cope with the profuse bleeding, and it heals in quick order.

Would you consider partial comb dubbing to be good to look into for Ori? That way he can keep the back section for helping to dissipate heat in the summer.. What’s the procedure like if you don’t mind me asking? Anything I should be worried about with a partial dubbing? Is it bad to partially dub it so it’s halved from the front and back sections? Im completely out of my element I had no idea this was a thing people did..

 

[azygous]

The comb is like a sponge in construction. You can carve and sculpt it into any shape you want. I used sharp scissors. My hen had a rose comb that had a long "tail" extension that the other chickens grabbed to tear it from her head. I trimmed the tail off completely so it was flush with the back of her scull, leaving the rest of the comb intact. After it healed it resembled a strawberry comb. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-9-comb-types.63029/

The downside to dubbing is that it creates very significant pain for the chicken, and the bleeding is profuse. I tried to mitigate both by numbing the comb by dipping it in ice water first.

You will need to have corn starch handy to curb the bleeding after the cutting is finished. Even then, the comb will continue to bleed for several hours and it's a big mess you'll want to take steps to control as the chicken shakes its head trying to get rid of the dripping blood. You will also want to be prepared with electrolytes to combat stress and possible shock following surgery to be on the safe side. But the comb will heal very quickly.

 

[jeepgirl13]

If you live in an area where they show birds at the fair, you may be able to find someone who does dubbing for show birds. These people are very fast and know what they are doing.

My boss shows bantam old English and her roosters have to have their comb dubbed, along with their wattles and part of their earlobe because it is part of the history of the breed, and must be done to get points in show. The lady she used to do this had all the dubbing done and blood stopped in less than 2 minutes, my boss said.

 

[azygous]

 

[ShannonR]

If you live in an area where they show birds at the fair, you may be able to find someone who does dubbing for show birds. These people are very fast and know what they are doing.

My boss shows bantam old English and her roosters have to have their comb dubbed, along with their wattles and part of their earlobe because it is part of the history of the breed, and must be done to get points in show. The lady she used to do this had all the dubbing done and blood stopped in less than 2 minutes, my boss said.

I do feel that dubbing would help this guy breathe better. Only problem I see, is that walnut comb is gonna bleed a lot....

 

[jeepgirl13]

I do feel that dubbing would help this guy breathe better. Only problem I see, is that walnut comb is gonna bleed a lot....

That's why I suggested someone who does this routinely for show birds. They're quick, efficient, and really know what they're doing. I think someone like this would be the most qualified. They may even be able to confirm the comb is the issue.

That is, if the vet isnt wiling or is unable.

 

[jeepgirl13]

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

The comb is like a sponge in construction. You can carve and sculpt it into any shape you want. I used sharp scissors. My hen had a rose comb that had a long "tail" extension that the other chickens grabbed to tear it from her head. I trimmed the tail off completely so it was flush with the back of her scull, leaving the rest of the comb intact. After it healed it resembled a strawberry comb. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-9-comb-types.63029/

The downside to dubbing is that it creates very significant pain for the chicken, and the bleeding is profuse. I tried to mitigate both by numbing the comb by dipping it in ice water first.

You will need to have corn starch handy to curb the bleeding after the cutting is finished. Even then, the comb will continue to bleed for several hours and it's a big mess you'll want to take steps to control as the chicken shakes its head trying to get rid of the dripping blood. You will also want to be prepared with electrolytes to combat stress and possible shock following surgery to be on the safe side. But the comb will heal very quickly.

If you live in an area where they show birds at the fair, you may be able to find someone who does dubbing for show birds. These people are very fast and know what they are doing.

My boss shows bantam old English and her roosters have to have their comb dubbed, along with their wattles and part of their earlobe because it is part of the history of the breed, and must be done to get points in show. The lady she used to do this had all the dubbing done and blood stopped in less than 2 minutes, my boss said.

I do feel that dubbing would help this guy breathe better. Only problem I see, is that walnut comb is gonna bleed a lot....

That's why I suggested someone who does this routinely for show birds. They're quick, efficient, and really know what they're doing. I think someone like this would be the most qualified. They may even be able to confirm the comb is the issue.

That is, if the vet isnt wiling or is unable.

Thank you also so much. I know someone who does show chickens in the area, although I’m not sure what all breeds she does.. I’ll have to try and find her number again and see if she possibly knows anyone in the area who dubs if she doesn’t. I was going to call the vet on Tuesday and see what they have been told after sending the photos to the “chicken experts”.. I want to try and keep it as painless and stress free as possible for Ori but I also would prefer to not have to drop another large sum on a vet bill for him if it can be avoided. Especially if there’s someone more experienced to do this procedure