My rooster, Roosevelt, does this thing where he opens his beak and wiggles his tongue up and down. He is the only chicken I have seen do that, but I don't know what he's doing. Is it something only roosters do? Is it common?
Kind of like a dog panting? My birds do that on warmer than average days. But it could also be a sign of stress or illness.
He's about three months. He's been doing it maybe for a month or two? It's not like how a dog pants, but a slow up and down motion.
not hookworms He may have gapeworms. You can check by gently swabbing the back of his throat with a q-tip. If it comes out tinged with red or sometimes even the little worms you will have confirmed that. Please check out "gapeworms" in the search box. He may be trying to crow but, it won't hurt to check his throat with a q-tip
I haven't swabbed his throat yet. To be honest, I'm a bit scared that I might hurt him. I also noticed two of my pullets doing the same thing with their tongues. Can you give me any advice about how to swab their throats?
