Chicken with mucus

[Bananaplinko]

This is my Ameraucana cockerel. Yesterday it looked like he was trying to get something out of his throat. He had his mouth open and was shaking his head. The gnats are starting to get bad in our area so I summed it up to be related. I sprayed him with vanilla water to help. This morning I went out to spray more vanilla as the birds were being bothered by the gnats. When I picked him up I noticed his neck locked kind of wet. Then he opened his mouth and it was just filled with mucus. The picture doesn’t give it justice. He appears to be acting normal otherwise and all his flock mates still seem ok. Any ideas of what caused this or how I can help him?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any ideas of what caused this or how I can help him?

Sorry your fella is unwell.

Shaking the head is the only way to clear the throat or adjust the crop. They can cough or sneeze but they don't have any gag reflex.. according to my current understanding. ACTING normal is a great way to avoid predation and flock brutality. They have even been known to FAKE eating!

Check his crop and see if it's full, empty, or squishy. Have you seen him actively eating and drinking?

This article may be helpful..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Hope you find answers and he recovers quickly.

 

[Eggcessive]

Gnats can be really rough on chickens, even choking them to death. But he could have a respiratory disease or be reacting to some other allergen. Does he have any bubbles or foam in either eye, mucus from his nostrils, or have any sneezing? Can you look inside his beak with a light?

 

[Bananaplinko]

Sorry your fella is unwell.

Shaking the head is the only way to clear the throat or adjust the crop. They can cough or sneeze but they don't have any gag reflex.. according to my current understanding. ACTING normal is a great way to avoid predation and flock brutality. They have even been known to FAKE eating!

Check his crop and see if it's full, empty, or squishy. Have you seen him actively eating and drinking?

This article may be helpful..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Hope you find answers and he recovers quickly.

His crop is empty

 

[EggSighted4Life]

His crop is empty

The mucus.. I guess I was hoping was water or crop gunk related.. but sounds like it may be respiratory or possibly even an allergic reaction as suggested by the other poster.. maybe an extreme reaction to the gnats..

Did any more symptoms develop for him or your flock throughout today? Did his beard dry out?

Did he ever get food in his crop? It should be full when he goes to roost and for a bit afterwards.

Are you in a location recently affected with avian influenza? Both low and high pathenogenic strains make their way across the country/world every year with migrating bird species.

What is his actual age, how long have you had him, was he vaccinated for anything?

Sorry so many questions.. just trying to discern if there's any way to help.

 

[Bananaplinko]

The mucus.. I guess I was hoping was water or crop gunk related.. but sounds like it may be respiratory or possibly even an allergic reaction as suggested by the other poster.. maybe an extreme reaction to the gnats..

Did any more symptoms develop for him or your flock throughout today? Did his beard dry out?

Did he ever get food in his crop? It should be full when he goes to roost and for a bit afterwards.

Are you in a location recently affected with avian influenza? Both low and high pathenogenic strains make their way across the country/world every year with migrating bird species.

What is his actual age, how long have you had him, was he vaccinated for anything?

Sorry so many questions.. just trying to discern if there's any way to help.

last night his mouth was dry but his muff still appeared wet. He was eating so I didn’t want to try and feel his crop and have him stop eating. He was born in mid February and is not vaccinated for anything. There isn’t a ton of hpai in my area. All the other birds appear fine and he is still acting normal otherwise. Sorry that was all out of order. Thanks

 

[Bananaplinko]

The mucus.. I guess I was hoping was water or crop gunk related.. but sounds like it may be respiratory or possibly even an allergic reaction as suggested by the other poster.. maybe an extreme reaction to the gnats..

Did any more symptoms develop for him or your flock throughout today? Did his beard dry out?

Did he ever get food in his crop? It should be full when he goes to roost and for a bit afterwards.

Are you in a location recently affected with avian influenza? Both low and high pathenogenic strains make their way across the country/world every year with migrating bird species.

What is his actual age, how long have you had him, was he vaccinated for anything?

Sorry so many questions.. just trying to discern if there's any way to help.

It looks like he’s trying to eat but can’t actually swallow the food. He’s starting to get thin. I made him a mash so the food wouldn’t get stuck to his mucus. He instantly went to eating but after every couple bites strings of food would come out. Then he’d shake his head and the food would go flying. Then he’d go back to eating. I tried giving him some grass and he’d bite it but couldn’t actually break anything off to eat.

 

[Bananaplinko]

This is what his poop looks like. He’s still super active just not eating.