Pekin Bantam Rooster Labored Breathing

[LisaSimone]

Hi all,

We have 5 Pekin bantam chickens at the moment.

1 of the roosters (he is 4 months old) is struggling to breathe. He is lying down a lot (lethargic) and when he breathes his whole body moves up and down.

We have felt his crop and it feels empty, we felt it also directly after he ate and it still felt empty.

His wattle is turning dark red, where before it was bright, but no blackening.

We suspect he cannot breathe through his nose but there is no discharge that we can see. We are noticing sneezing. When he breathes his nose sounds like it is wheezing.

He was crowing pretty enthusiastically and now he is not.

We have one other rooster and 3 hens and none of them are showing any similar symptoms.

3 days ago, there were children visiting our neighbors, they did not listen to us. They were chasing our chickens and he was running away from them and then at some stage he went to lie down and we noticed the heavy breathing etc.

He is drinking water, eating and pooping.

What should we do and should we be worried?

 

[alinas2010]

Welcome to the site, sorry it is under these circumstances. Is this the first time you’ve noticed any issues with his breathing? How hot is it where you are? Offer him some electrolytes, he may be worn out or shocky from being chased. Check his mouth, throat and nares really well for any debris or blockages, but also see that his eyes are clear and not bubbles or discharge are present. How does his abdomen feel?