Dying Rooster

[chickenwhisperer14248]

My sweet young rooster had a strange- sounding crow one evening and was hoarse the next. He used to be top dog, but now is picked on by everyone. Last night, I thought he was going to die but lived through miraculously. He's wheezing now, in the coop and sitting down (wierdo, he's never done that before). Help me please!

 

[Petra Pancake]

Don't know what it is, but it sounds like some sort of respiratory disease. I recommend isolating him from the rest of the flock first thing, so that it doesn't spread to the others. Regarding treatment, maybe some of the BYC "veterans" have an idea?

 

[sbhkma]

Is he eating or drinking?
What color is his comb?
What does his poop look like-normal, watery, green, bloody, worms in it?
What kind of food does he get?
Is his crop empty, full, hard, squishy?
Does his breath smell "off"?
How is he housed?
What's the temp/humidity like there?
Any changes to the flock-adding or removing birds, etc?
Are any other birds looking sick?
Has he been de-wormed?
Have you looked for parasites on his legs, under his wings and around his vent?
Sorry for the 20 questions, but folks on here need more information in order to venture a guess as to what might be wrong and how you might be able to help him.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC, and sorry about your ailing rooster. There are a handful of common respiratory diseases caused by virus, bacteria, and fungus infections. Does he have other symptoms such as runny eyes, nasal drainage, coughing, chest rattles, or swelling around an eye? Symptoms may help to identify the disease. If you should lose him soon, I would get a necropsy done by a poultry lab or state vet, since it would be good to know if there is a contagious disease in the flock. Wet moldy conditions can cause aspergillosis, a fungal disease, and the other common diseases are infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma (MG,) coryza, ILT, and others. Google "common poultry diseases" for a good link by University of Fla. listing symptoms and treatments. The only decent feed store antibiotic for respiratory diseases is Tylan 50 injectable. It can be given orally a drop at a time or in a small amount of food, or as an injection. Dosage is 0.2 ml per pound of weight twice daily for 5 days. That will only treat diseases of bacterial origin.

 

[chickenwhisperer14248]

Is he eating or drinking?
What color is his comb?
What does his poop look like-normal, watery, green, bloody, worms in it?
What kind of food does he get?
Is his crop empty, full, hard, squishy?
Does his breath smell "off"?
How is he housed?
What's the temp/humidity like there?
Any changes to the flock-adding or removing birds, etc?
Are any other birds looking sick?
Has he been de-wormed?
Have you looked for parasites on his legs, under his wings and around his vent?
Sorry for the 20 questions, but folks on here need more information in order to venture a guess as to what might be wrong and how you might be able to help him.

Purple comb, not pooping but eating and drinking ravenously. Now wheezing heavily.