Rooster - started hoarse, has gotten worse - help

[cinjoel]

I need advice. My beautiful rooster Mocha lost his voice/crow about one month ago. I started giving him Vet RX in his water, plain yogurt, even put the Vet RX drops on his beak and under his wings and it’s only getting worse. Not sure what else I can do .

 

[micstrachan]

That’s a serious respiratory issue and I don’t like the color of his comb (it looks a little blue to me, like lack of oxygen). Can you look inside his beak for any white or yellow lesions and smell his breath? Is his crop emptying overnight? Does he have any nasal discharge?

 

[cinjoel]

Update on Mocha...no foul odor from his beak, no white or yellow lesions in or around his beak, crop feels flat. No nasal discharge. Plan to check his crop again tonight. We ‘free range’ by putting them in chicken tractors during the day then back in secure overnight coops at night. He still tries to crow to call his girls, runs to the tractor and is eating and drinking. We feel like he must be suffering to breathe and wonder when do we end his suffering...

 

[micstrachan]

I’m afraid I still need to look up the different respiratory issues to know how to help. I hope this reply bumps this post. Quite a few of our regular ER educators could provide a quick list of most likely illnesses. There are several, and I just don’t know which is most likely here.
@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous

These three may chime in and may tag others who have lots of respiratory illness knowledge if they are unsure.

 

[azygous]

It's possible Mocha has tumors on his heart and lungs and other organs. You can try an antibiotic if you can access one, but it's more likely this is caused by an avian virus that isn't going to respond to medication.

It appears Mocha is not having a very good life right now. I would suggest euthanizing now. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/how-to-humanely-euthanize-chicken-by-dr//

I also strongly suggest you get a necropsy done on his body to find out if this is something that has consequences for you entire flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be a number of things, but with his darkened comb color, it is obvious that he is not getting enough oxygen. We are not vets here, but he could be suffering from a respiratory disease, worms that are partially blocking his airway, or a fungal disease (aspergillosis) that has affected his respiratory system. I would try to see a vet familiar with chickens right away. If not, I would give him some wormer, SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer (shake well) 2 ml slowly over a minute or two, for the next 5 days. That treats gapeworm and capillary worms two of the worse worms, plus several others.

You could try some Tylan 50 or 200 if your feed store has any, and give it orally. Use a syringe and needle to get it out of the bottle, remove the needle, and give it by mouth. That would treat mycoplasma (MG.) Look for dust and mold in his coop, and remove any. So sorry about your rooster.

It is upsetting to not be able to help him. VetRx is only herb oils plus camphor, and will not cure anything. Make sure that he is getting enough water, and you can take a small portion of feed and make it ver wet with water to more more into him.

 

[azygous]

There is something else you can try to treat him. If this is a low grade respiratory illness caused by bacteria or fungus, you could rig up a vaporizer or mister with Oxine or Betadine in the water for him to breathe for a few days. It could help him feel better, if not get better.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hope you can help him.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You've received good advice from @azygous and @Eggcessive

I'm sorry that Mocha is not well

 

[cinjoel]

Thank you all. I did start giving him the Safeguard. Day one seemed ok, day two I gave it to him in the am, but he died later that day.

My heart sad, I’m blaming myself but trying to find the bright side...now I can reunited the hens into one flock with Latte (Mocha’s) brother.