Rooster with red spot on neck and labored breathing???

[debbiez]

My Australorp rooster, Sarge, is 2 years old.A couple of weeks ago I noticed a small red spot on his throat, I assumed it was he was molting. Now the spot is bigger.About the size of a sliver dollar. I had DH catch him to check his crop it seemed fine. I noticed his breathing was a bit raspy.He seems just fine other than this.He is kept in a coop with 2 hens who seem fine.I put gravels in their coop every couple of months. They have been on Scratch for a while so DH said to give them crumbles. Going to give him some antibiotic today.I have no clue what could be wrong.The Chickens are molting so I guess the spot could be nothing but it looks very ugly. Any replies would be helpful.Sarge is my Favorite.

Thanks,
Debbiez

 

[PeeperKeeper]

Describe this "red spot" a little more in detail.
Is it flat or rounded, soft or hard, tender or non-tender to touch?

Raspy sound? Cough, growl, Normal "Yaaaaawwk"? (sorry, don't know how to spell some of the sounds these chickens make.)

 

[debbiez]

Looks red very irritated.Has stubs of feathers.Just went to go check on him.Noticed the feathers next to it are missing but not red.It is up under the neck feathers but none of those seem to be missing.
Yesterday he sounded like someone who had just run really hard and couldn't get enough air.DH did have to chase him around the coop a bit before he got him.Sarge is friendly but not a pet.DH thought his eye has some bubbles. I did not notice his breathing nor watery eyes today. Sarge seems perfectly happy.
Probably just me over reacting.
Thanks,
Debbiez

 

[debbiez]

Anyone? Suggestions about Anything?

 

[Jenski]

What do you normally feed them? Chickens need regular feed pellets or crumbles, access to grit, and fresh, clean water at all times. Scratch is a high-fat treat, and does not contain the nutrition necessary to maintain good health and immunity to disease.

Sounds like your roo might have a respiratory infection; it is also possible, I suppose, that he could have gapeworm. Can you shine a small flashlight toward his mouth and try to see if there is anything unusual going on in the mouth or throat? Check for:

*white, grey, or bright red patches
* pale or reddish worms in throat (there is no mistaking these)
* sores, blisters
* blockage of any kind

If you can't see anything but moist, pink mouth, tongue and throat, he may still have a respiratory infection of some kind, but you are less likely to have gapeworm or fungal stuff going on. You might get him on regular feed immediately, quarantine him if possible, make sure he has plenty of water, keep him out of drafts. Other folks can advise on poly-vi-sol drops, penicillin and other urgent care stuff for sick chickens.

Please keep us posted. Pictures are always a help too, if you can do this. Good luck!

 

[debbiez]

Would he still get gapeworms if we wormed him? We just wormed those chickens a month or so ago.He has been on scratch mixed with a little crumbles. Now all they get is Gamebird Starter/Grower.(We buy this for the pheasants and baby guineas and we just give it to all the rest.We have fed our bantys with it for months and they have not changed a bit.)
Where are these picked up from and why don't the hens have it? I do feed them old fruit and vegetables could he have gotten it from them?
We are giving all the Chickens in that coop antibiotics.I would separate him but we are overrun with chickens.
I will have DH look at his throat when he gets home.
Thanks
Debbiez

 

[Jenski]

You will probably be able to see gapeworm. The worming med would have had to be appropriate for gapeworm in order to kill it ~ not all wormers kill all types of worms.

I recommend against using antibiotics until you know what you are treating for ~ overuse causes resistant strains of bacteria.

Could just be your roo's body is somehow stressed, causing him to succumb to something a healthy bird would resist ~ just like people.

 

[debbiez]

Finally got to look at his throat.Nothing but pink.

We gave them wazine wormer a month or two ago.does that kill gapeworms? I can't look at the bottle because we used it all and I through it away.
May be he is just having a weird molt??
Debbiez

 

[sammi]

Wazine only treats adult round worms..doesn't treat any other kind.
Ivermec or Eprinex (ivermectin) is a broader wormer..

it's possible the spot is from molting..
also possible it's some sort of sore..maybe from an insect bite..wouldn't hurt to put some neosporin on it.
is it swollen or have heat?

what antibiotic are you giving?
why are you treating the flock?
are they showing any symptoms?(other then the roo)
for respiratory illness..
Tylan 50 injectible is good..
Tylan comes in water soluble form also..
Erythromycin (gallimycin)
LS-50
but you shouldn't give antibiotics if there are no symptoms.

how many birds do you have?
describe the droppings..color and consistency
what bedding do you use?

the best way to catch them is after they go to roost and are asleep..war the body in a towel to prevent flapping..much less stressful for the bird and you..

 

[debbiez]

We are treating all of them because I have nowhere to put the roo. We were recently given some bantys and now we are overrun with chickens.So we just put the antibiotic in the water that all of them drink out of.He is the only one wit this.The two hens seem fine.Everyone is molting.
They don't really have "bedding".The coop flour is dirt but there is some old hay in the nesting boxes.Sorry to say I haven't had time to put in fresh hay.
The name of the antibiotic is Aureomycin.
The breathing is sporadic. I have hardly noticed it.He did not seem like he was having any trouble with it the other night. The spot is not swollen and I have not noticed any heat.
Poop looks normal.
Thanks to everyone that has replied.
Debbiez