Sick rooster- breathing extremely labored

[Rob_red]

Hello everyone I have a Rhode Island Red rooster who seems to have a respiratory infection. He makes high pitched sneezes and you can hear his gurgl wheeze from 6 feet away and his crow sounds weak and very scratchy. He is acting very normal otherwise, he free ranges with the hens and has been breading them as normal.

We are able to get erythromycin from the local fish store, will this help? How would you recommend I administer the medicine?

I will try to post videos if possible.

Any suggestions are welcome

 

[Rob_red]

Hey everyone, today he is seeming to be getting worse.

is there anything I can do? VetRx hasnt done anything for him and I've started erythromycin out of desperation.

Would is be detrimental to also try a dewormer along with this?

he is about 8 months old and a maybe 6 lbs

 

[Aapomp831]

@Eggcessive

 

[Rob_red]

Hey everyone he’s getting worse, I gave him two inter-muscular injections of oxytetracycline over a 3 day period (1/2 CC). We also gave him a de wormer for good measure. Today he was unable to crow and breathing very labored. He had no discharge from eyes or nose, still pecks around and jumps up to his roost as normal.

today I noticed his chest is hot and red. Not sure what this means?

Not sure What to do or if he is going to make it, also I’m assuming the rest of the flock will get this as well.

We are upset, we like this rooster, he is gentle with people yet protects the hens.

 

[Myrshine]

Normally gurgling sounds from the chest is actually from the trachea being filled with mucus, pus or blood. This is most likely caused by Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) or Aspergillosis.

I don’t believe it’s either, but the common MG bacteria instead.
Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), or most commonly known as Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). MG is a bacterial infection of poultry, affecting all different species of birds. This disease is most commonly given from infected parents to the offspring, as the MG bacteria can be transmitted vertically into the eggs of developing embryos, making any chicks that hatch, always infected and sick with the bacteria. So please don’t ever breed from your sickly infected flock to sell or giveaway chicks/hens/roosters to anyone. You can freely choose to hatch for yourself, but you should not ever sell and or giveaway any extra roosters as you’ll just be giving someone else your flock’s disease, causing them a devastation. MG is a permanent lifelong chronic disease- meaning, that you can treat or have the symptoms go away, but whenever the bird gets stressed again, the symptoms will keep coming back or get worse. All birds (even recovered birds) remain lifetime long carriers of the MG bacteria, spreading and shedding it through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. This is a serious permanent lifetime disease of poultry and is incurable, but treatable with antibiotics. Since MG is caused by a bacteria, antibiotics can help keep symptoms at bay until the symptoms resurface whenever birds become stressed again. Keep in mind that over-use and/or misuse of antibiotics also creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making the disease harder to treat than before. It’s critical in any livestock animal, especially poultry, to get any sick or symptomatic birds tested to find out which specific disease they have as soon as possible. That being said, most choose to cull all birds, disinfect and start over fresh. If you’d rather not, then the other option is to keep a closed flock- no new birds into your flock and no birds leave your sick flock. If you choose to start over, always quarantine any new birds that you decide to bring into your flock, 30 day quarantine isn’t always enough, therefore, it’s best to do a 60 day quarantine AWAY from your healthy birds, in another area.



Here's more information about MG:

• https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

• https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/protecting-your-flock-what-you-need-to-know-about-mg-ms/

• https://afarmgirlinthemaking.com/respiratory-conditions-poultry-mycoplasma-in-chickens/

• https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ahw/animal_health/documents/backyardpoultry/Mycoplasma Factsheet.pdf

• https://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D9107.PDF

List of testing and necropsy labs for poultry & other animals:

• List of US Poultry Labs - https://www.heritageacresmarket.com/poultry-necropsy-labs/

• List of Poultry Authorized Labs (NIPIP) - https://www.poultryimprovement.org/documents/AuthorizedLaboratories.pdf

• Zoologix PCR testing for livestock (poultry, equine, bovine, avian, etc) - http://www.zoologix.com/avian/index.htm

• USDA Diagnostic Tests - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou..._Lab_Information_Services/SA_Diagnostic_Tests

• Research Associates Lab (RAL) - http://www.vetdna.com/test-type/avian-bird

• Poultry Health Services Diagnostic Tests - https://www.poultryhealthservices.com/lab/tests/

 

[Rob_red]

Thank you for the thorough write up, we had a farm vet come out and treat him with additional antibiotic, and a steroid. The antibiotic treatments will continue every couple of days.

unfortunately he is not improving as of now.

We will not ad any birds and will contain the flock. If this ends up taking out the flock, do you have any advice on how to source uninfected birds?

 

[Myrshine]

By moving the sick ones away from the same area and out of reach so the healthy ones can’t get to them. Keep a pair of clothing just for the sick ones and don’t share equipment, towels, etc

 

[Rob_red]

Well he passed away today. It’s a real bummer! He was a great looking rhode island red, gentle to humans, and was a good protector/ alpha for the flock.

It won’t be the same waking up without my daily rooster wake up call.

 

[webmistress32]

so sorry for your loss! roosters are special and losing one is very hard. god speed to your guy.