Rooster making strange sounds and shaking head, doesn't sound right.

[ivyrash]

Went out this morning and looked and handled all the chickens. This rooster is wheezing also. I am surprised I never heard that before. I think there was another one in that coop that was also wheezing so I am starting to think it is a respiratory thing. We cleaned out both pens (I have two flocks divided by chicken wire) and I remembered that I put some alfalfa in the coop that I had left over and I'm wondering if that might be part of the problem. We cleaned everything out, sprayed a vinegar/hydrogen peroxide mix to sanitize and have a fan blowing while the chickens free range this afternoon. I looked at eyes, ears, nose, down the throats, swabbed throats on the ones showing symptoms (didn't find anything but food). Found no drainage of any kind eyes or nose. Combs and wattles looked good. I seven dusted everyone as a preventative as that is something I do a couple times a year anyway.

I put ACV into the water since I had that on hand and will head to town to see what I can pick up in the way of meds. Even if I don't use them I will be prepared.

Thanks for all the info!

 

[Haunted55]

Went out this morning and looked and handled all the chickens. This rooster is wheezing also. I am surprised I never heard that before. I think there was another one in that coop that was also wheezing so I am starting to think it is a respiratory thing. We cleaned out both pens (I have two flocks divided by chicken wire) and I remembered that I put some alfalfa in the coop that I had left over and I'm wondering if that might be part of the problem. We cleaned everything out, sprayed a vinegar/hydrogen peroxide mix to sanitize and have a fan blowing while the chickens free range this afternoon. I looked at eyes, ears, nose, down the throats, swabbed throats on the ones showing symptoms (didn't find anything but food). Found no drainage of any kind eyes or nose. Combs and wattles looked good. I seven dusted everyone as a preventative as that is something I do a couple times a year anyway.

I put ACV into the water since I had that on hand and will head to town to see what I can pick up in the way of meds. Even if I don't use them I will be prepared.

Thanks for all the info!

http://www.revivalanimal.com/Oxine-Fogger-and-Oxine-AH.html
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

For the future, Oxine is the best. Super B Complex is a good one to have on hand as well as vitamin E 400iu, human chewable Calcium 500mg with vitamin D 400mg, for egg binding and prolapse, Duramycin-10, human asprin. A full grown chicken can have 1 adult asprin a day for pain or fever. Vicks vaporub, forleg mites and rubbing a bit down the beak when they are showing respiratory symptoms. I've tried the Vet RX and go back to the Vicks everytime. Lavender oil is another one I use a lot. When the pine pollen is bad, like now, I put a few drops on their roost and nesting boxes.

One thing I highly recommend to everyone....keep a notebook with every symptom, medication, etc.. You will be amazed at just how much you already know when you do this. I make sure I write down the dosing info and what it was used for, how long and the results. this book will end up being your best friend, trust me. When your birds are hit with something, you don't take the time to break it all down, all you want to do is fix it and fast. With this, you can grab the book and see if anything was close to what you are seeing now.

 

[ivyrash]

http://www.revivalanimal.com/Oxine-Fogger-and-Oxine-AH.html
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

For the future, Oxine is the best. Super B Complex is a good one to have on hand as well as vitamin E 400iu, human chewable Calcium 500mg with vitamin D 400mg, for egg binding and prolapse, Duramycin-10, human asprin. A full grown chicken can have 1 adult asprin a day for pain or fever. Vicks vaporub, forleg mites and rubbing a bit down the beak when they are showing respiratory symptoms. I've tried the Vet RX and go back to the Vicks everytime. Lavender oil is another one I use a lot. When the pine pollen is bad, like now, I put a few drops on their roost and nesting boxes.

One thing I highly recommend to everyone....keep a notebook with every symptom, medication, etc.. You will be amazed at just how much you already know when you do this. I make sure I write down the dosing info and what it was used for, how long and the results. this book will end up being your best friend, trust me. When your birds are hit with something, you don't take the time to break it all down, all you want to do is fix it and fast. With this, you can grab the book and see if anything was close to what you are seeing now.

That is a good idea about the book. I pulled up a list of things to keep on hand in a medical kit, some of it I already have but some of the stuff I don't and picked some of it up yesterday. I never seem to have the thing I need when I need it and with the closest stores 20 min. away and then the closest farm stores that might have what I need being an hour away, it's just a pain. I don't know why I'm having so much trouble this year. I have been keeping chickens for almost 4 years not and have never had this much illness. Yes, some things are different this year but then, that happens no matter what.

I have not medicated the birds at this point. Thought I would wait a day and see if the symptoms are still the same after we cleaned out the coop and they ran free all day yesterday. Hoping maybe it was an allergy and they will start to improve on their own.

 

[Haunted55]

That is a good idea about the book. I pulled up a list of things to keep on hand in a medical kit, some of it I already have but some of the stuff I don't and picked some of it up yesterday. I never seem to have the thing I need when I need it and with the closest stores 20 min. away and then the closest farm stores that might have what I need being an hour away, it's just a pain. I don't know why I'm having so much trouble this year. I have been keeping chickens for almost 4 years not and have never had this much illness. Yes, some things are different this year but then, that happens no matter what.

I have not medicated the birds at this point. Thought I would wait a day and see if the symptoms are still the same after we cleaned out the coop and they ran free all day yesterday. Hoping maybe it was an allergy and they will start to improve on their own.

I hope so too, but it is always better to have the antibiotics on hand, just in case. I think the weather we had this last Winter and the rainy Spring is causing all kinds of issues, at least here in the N.E.. I have a miserable case of cocci going on, in one of my new groups of chicks, that is unresponsive to amprolium. They have been on medicated feed from day one until I took them off while treating with Corid. They are now getting a 3 day course of Di-Methox to kill the cocci.

 

[ivyrash]

I hope so too, but it is always better to have the antibiotics on hand, just in case. I think the weather we had this last Winter and the rainy Spring is causing all kinds of issues, at least here in the N.E.. I have a miserable case of cocci going on, in one of my new groups of chicks, that is unresponsive to amprolium. They have been on medicated feed from day one until I took them off while treating with Corid. They are now getting a 3 day course of Di-Methox to kill the cocci.

Same here, I have had trouble with cocci this year that I have never had before. It was such a cold wet spring here and I couldn't get the young birds outside like I normally would have. The coops just never seemed to get dry with all the rain for a while. I had some 4 week old chicks that were showing signs of cocci and were on medicated feed and I finally just gave them medicated water along with the feed. I know they say don't do that and I was very careful about how long I did it but I thought maybe it will be just an extra boost to the medicated feed. I also started putting them outside in the sun for a few hours a day and started changing the bedding every day just to try to keep them away from the droppings and we finally kicked it. We usually change the bedding every few days in the younger ones but this time it just didn't seem to be often enough.

I do have duramycin-10 on hand now. I am thinking about trying some benadryl on my rooster today but not sure it will do much good. I put vicks on his beak last night, it helps me when I have a chest cold. You never know, it might work!

 

[ivyrash]

No change on the rooster, I actually think he was sounding worse last night so I started the duramycin-10 last night. I am using 1 tsp. to 1 gal. of water with a pinch of flavored jello added for flavor. Not sure how long to continue the treatment, guess I need to do some more reading.

 

[Haunted55]

The first thing I always grab is Duramycin-10. I do have Tylan 50 and 200 but have never had to use them so far. If you do try this, give the 400mg dose of 1/2 tbls per gallon for 7-14 days. Even is they seem better, it's always a good idea to continue at least 3 days beyond when they are 'cured'.

Another thing, I am shooting from the hip here as I don't have a lot of symptoms to work with. I know it's late tonight but if you could update tomorrow, we may be able to narrow it down a bit more. If you have any poultry vitamins, I would add them to the water tonight.

No change on the rooster, I actually think he was sounding worse last night so I started the duramycin-10 last night. I am using 1 tsp. to 1 gal. of water with a pinch of flavored jello added for flavor. Not sure how long to continue the treatment, guess I need to do some more reading.

The info you need is above. You can add the jello but I've never needed it, the birds seem to like the taste just fine by itself.

 

[Australorpe]

I have a 5 month old, Swedish Flower rooster that is making a strange weezy squaking sound. It is not a constant sound but I do hear him making these noises several times a day. I have also noticed he seems to lift his head up and shake it as he is making the sound. He eats and drinks fine as far as I can tell. He crows fine, pecks and scratches and all the other things that he should be doing but I have never heard any of my other chickens make a sound like that.

At this point I have not done anything with him other than observe to see that he is eating and drinking etc.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Sounds like gape worm