Rooster boy constantly swallowing - help

[Eggcessive]

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?

 

[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

 

[kcan2]

Giving a teaspoon of coconut oil won't hurt anything.
Put it in the fridge to harden it up, break it into small pieces and let him eat it. My birds love coconut oil.

You may want to look inside his ears just to rule out ear infection and take another look inside the beak for obstruction or yellow/white pasty material as well.

Keep us posted and let us know if he improves once you add more ventilation.

Here is a close up of his ear. I'm no expert so if you see anything that looks off please let me know.
@Eggcessive sorry I forgot to state that yes, they have granite grit available

 

[Wyorp Rock]

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

The Earlobe is the red part, the Ear Canal is behind the little tuft of feathers. Gently move the tuft of feathers away and you should see the Ear Canal. It should look clean, if there's any debris, yellow crusty material, insects, etc. inside the Canal, then clean his ear. You can drop 1 drop of Peroxide in the ear, then wipe it out.

His nostril looks clogged up as well. Same thing, 1 drop of Peroxide, let that sit for a minute to help soften it up, then work on removing the debris. Some folks use an Orange Stick (wooden cuticle stick) or something else blunt to slowly remove material out of the nostrils. You may have to work on it, then apply 1 more drop of Peroxide, then proceed.
Nothing inside his beak in the Choanal Slit? There's what looks like a slit in the roof of the beak...that's clear with no blockage or yellow pasty material right?

 

[kcan2]

The Earlobe is the red part, the Ear Canal is behind the little tuft of feathers. Gently move the tuft of feathers away and you should see the Ear Canal. It should look clean, if there's any debris, yellow crusty material, insects, etc. inside the Canal, then clean his ear. You can drop 1 drop of Peroxide in the ear, then wipe it out.

His nostril looks clogged up as well. Same thing, 1 drop of Peroxide, let that sit for a minute to help soften it up, then work on removing the debris. Some folks use an Orange Stick (wooden cuticle stick) or something else blunt to slowly remove material out of the nostrils. You may have to work on it, then apply 1 more drop of Peroxide, then proceed.
Nothing inside his beak in the Choanal Slit? There's what looks like a slit in the roof of the beak...that's clear with no blockage or yellow pasty material right?

View attachment 2986948

I will check all of that and doctor with peroxide as you advised. Many thanks for helping me avoid hunting down a chicken vet as of yet. I will get my husband to assist me in looking at the choanal slit. Which may be a challenge as my husband is mortally afraid of the rooster
Man, do they (the chickens) keep me busy with all their needs.

 

[kcan2]

Ok, now my hen is beginning to exhibit similar behaviors

I brought them in the house to observe, and caught the following two videos where my rooster sets a new record of swallows, shaking, scratching, picking at her, she picks at him, etc.

Could this possibly be some mite I can't detect?? Errgh

 

[Wyorp Rock]

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.

 

[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]

You can drop 1 drop of Peroxide in the ear, then wipe it out.

His nostril looks clogged up as well. Same thing, 1 drop of Peroxide, let that sit for a minute to help soften it

Hey there, I wanted to update to state that administering the peroxide seems to have given him the most immediate relief!

I didn't have an empty eyedropper so I put the peroxide in a near-empty systema eyedropper bottle, so sort of a peroxide/systema/saline mix. When I put it on his nostril, I was afraid some got in his airway and was drowning him because he began shutting his inner membrane eyelid and opened his beak wide like he was trying to breathe. A bit startling but it wore off quickly and he seemed much more comfortable right away. I have only treated his right ear and nostril so far.

Last night, his crop was actually nice and full at the end of the day, like he had been eating better. Swallowing action is much reduced. I also gave him a bit a bread with olive oil and coconut oil bits just in case he has a crop issue. However, since it seems to be more of a crusty accumulation in his ears and nostrils issue than a crop problem, I plan to proceed by focusing on keeping his upper passageways clean (short-term) while increasing ventilation in the indoor run area as a hopeful long-term prevention of reoccurrence.

I guess my only question now - is if I did anything wrong when I was cleaning him? I got that startling reaction where he opened wide his beak as if he couldn't get a breath and shut his eyelid. Not sure if some went down his airway or if it just fizzed and caused him to react in that odd way. I'd like to clean him again on his left side but am a bit hesitant.

He's a good boy and I'm thankful for your help!