Rooster has a very pale face and "dried" out waddles

[LizzyWhimsy]

One of my roosters has a bit of a sneeze and has been having some breathing issues. His raspiness has gone away and his sneeze isn't as bad now but today his face is very pale white and his waddles, which are usually thick and red, are "shriveled" or "dried" up in appearance. They are definitely smaller. He's eating, walking around (a little clumsily), and kind of sleeping while standing here and there. His beak is messy, but it's always been messy (he's just a sloppy rooster, unlike his brother) and his eyes still look clearish. His brother had the same thing a few weeks ago and just got over it and is crowing like normal and has color in his face. His sneeze has gone away and he's pretty back to normal but his brother seems to have it much worse than he did. The hens seem to be doing ok. Some are sneezing but they all look clear eyed and energetic. This just seemed to sweep through our flock a month ago when the weather turned extremely cold and the snow blanketed the ground. We thought it might be sneezing from the dust in the coop when they were confined during the snowy period but it looks like it could be worse. I'm hoping this sickness will subside, but I'm definitely not bringing new chickens into the flock like I was planning to in case this is Infectious Bronchitis.

They are eating well: pellets, alfalfa hay, grains, seeds, dinner scraps, etc. They're getting oyster shell and calcium. They are getting water. We are planning on putting electrolytes in the water soon. They are away from any drafts and dampness and have a safe, dry coop. They have an oil heater set to a specific temperature so it doesn't get super cold and when it gets in the teens and 0's, we turn it up. We're pretty much waiting this out as there is nothing much else we can do.

Does anyone know what is happening? or has anyone gone through this before and has some advice?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post a closeup picture of his face and wattles? Heat in the coop is not good to use normally, unless the temps get down below zero. Many don't even use it then, but I use a heat lamp only at night if the temp is 10 or below. Heating a coop normally can add to respiratory issues if they get a little overheated, since it can causing panting. They also will then get cold going outside if the temp is much different. Unfortunately when they do get a resp illness, they need to be kept warm. I would try to get one tested to see if it is infectious bronchitis or a milder case of MG. You would only need to close your flock for a year if it was IB. Your county extension agent or state vet could give you info on that. He may be a little dehydrated which could be causing the clumsiness, sleepiness, or shriveled wattles. Check his skin under his vent and wings for signs of mites which may cause anemia. You can use gatorade or pedialyte for electrolytes until you get them. You might want to bring him inside to keep him warm and to offer fluids and some chopped egg to eat. If he has a secondary infection, he might benefit from giveing him injectable Tylan 50 which you can also give orally. Here are the state vets, and if you give your location, I might get more contacts for you. http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf