Please help pet rooster sick

[csjones48]

I have a rooster that is about 2 yrs old. He's a mixed breed rhode island red and something. About 3 mos. ago he was very sick. Wouldn't lift his head and was drooling. I nursed him back to health with antibiotics, hand feeding and using a syringe with water for his drinking. Since his illness he will not crow and seems to be short of breath. He is wheezing and sneezing. I need help. I'm very attached to him and am afraid he is getting sick again. I give him vitamins in his water and he is isolated from the other chickens.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. There is a disease such as botulism or limberneck that will cause a chicken to not be able to lift it's neck, and comes from eating decayed vegetation, animal or fish carcasses, or maggots. Some die, but many recover. Then there is aspergillosis that comes from eating mold in the yard, in feed, and from molded litter that has gotten wet. They lose their voice and have respiratory symptoms like you describe. There is not much treatment for either disease, but it could also be a chronic respiratory disease. Here is more about the 2 diseases:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/19/botulism
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/7/aspergillosis
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disfungi.htm

 

[csjones48]

Thanks for the feedback. I will look at these sites. Is there anything I can do for chronic respiratory disease?

 

[Eggcessive]

CRD or mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is treated with an antibiotic such as Oxytetracycline, erythromycin (Gallimycin), or Tylan Soluble Powder in the drinking water. Tylan 50 injectable can also be given as a shot into the breast muscle. Here is some info:
http://umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-faq/
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...ction-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens