Rooster boy constantly swallowing - help

[kcan2]

Are they in the cage all the time?

His motions to me look like crop adjusting. Do you provide grit? I'd relook inside his beak, in the ears, check to make sure the crop is emptying.

I don't really see anything else, a hen and rooster together will groom one another, they are right together, so nothing else to do.

No, not in this tiny cage all of the time. I had them in the broody cage in my kitchen solely to record the videos. They normally reside in a coop-mansion currently parked in our detached garage for the winter. Now that you've calmed my mite fears (thank you), I'll continue to focus on possible crop issues, but I found it odd my hen was copying the behavior.

On a side note, I'm wondering if high humidity in the garage, low airflow, and limited access to direct sunlight (windows face north) are contributing factors to this mystery. I added a box fan a couple of days ago. Yes, they do have grit.

He crowed while in the broody cage in my kitchen. I told him there was a lot wrong with his choice of location. Didn't change his mind.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Could be environmental. Any way they can get more sun?

 

[kcan2]

Were you able to remove the hardened mucous?

You put only one drop on the nostril right? You can always just wet a qtip with the Peroxide and press it gently to the blockage to help soften the hardened material.
Reaction may be the fizzing, I don't know.

So he has crusty stuff in his ears too?

I'm still working on getting the hardened stuff off, as you can see it is nearly obstructing his nostril and is like cement. Peroxide doesn't seem to be eating through it much, but enough to be giving him some relief from headshakes and swallowing. I could possibly try some olive oil...?

Ears are actually pretty clear-looking, I couldn't get a photo one-handed as I held him, but the ear hole is open and there are just some really short, stiff feathers around the opening which I mistakenly thought were crust.

 

[kcan2]

Yes, they have dust bath with sand and topsoil mix, but he doesn't seem to use it much at all. Oil gland shown in photos, the feathers around it seem sparser and missing more so than normal. Could any of this be associated with the excessive swallowing?

 

[Tonyroo]

His feathers look ragged like he beginning a molt.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I don't see anything concerning with the preening gland.
The hen grooming him is normal, but she may do it more since they are confined to a smaller space right now. Hopefully this will resolve when you can get them back outside.

 

[kcan2]

These are the treatment I use.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you!

 

[kcan2]

How does his crop feel? Does it empty by morning? If he has any respiratory symptoms or mucus from his nostrils, or eye bubbles or drainage? They can have mucus drain in the back of the throat and swallow frequently. Gaping and head shaking can also be a sign of a crop problem.

Thanks for the reply, his crop does always empty by morning but it feels harder throughout the day than my hen's crop (her crop does seem squishier than his).

Be it that it is a crop issue, can I give him anything to help him out?

No eye bubbles, just brown crusty buildup around his nostrils. Could long-term exposure to woodchips be a possible irritant, causing the swallowing? The brown stuff is evident around his nostrils/comb area in the attached screenshot.

 

[kcan2]

If his crop empties every morning, he probably doesn’t have a crop problem. If he has crust around his nostrils, he may be having some nasal drainage which could be a respiratory disease or irritation from something. Pine shavings are fine. Make sure that you have good ventilation in the coop overhead. Ammonia fumes from droppings or dust can irritate the nasal passages. Is there any mold or moisture?

Well, their coop is parked in the garage for the winter, I did have a box fan for cool air circulation going out there but did remove it around the time he started this behavior due to cooler weather. Do you think I should put the fan back out there? The garage is holding around 35-40° to keep their water from freezing.

 

[kcan2]

You can run your hand up and down his right chest to find the crop. Feel if it is hard or doughy. You can massage it several times a day as long as it is not puffy/soft, full of liquid. The coconut oil plus drinking water may break up any blockage. Compare his crop to the other’s crops. If his is not empty by morning there may be a blockage. Do you have granite poultry grit out for the chickens to take as needed?

Thanks, I will run out and give him some coconut oil before he goes to bed. I have had the fan on for them and although he is still swallowing somewhat, he decided to crow today which he has not really been doing since this began last fall. Hopefully it's a sign of improvement!

You may want to look inside his ears just to rule out ear infection

Is there a trick to doing this so I won't hurt him? His ears are red (from the outside), assuming this is normal. Be it there is a problem, would it follow that antibiotics would be the only effective treatment? Thanks again