Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I had a week of no drama but now I'm back to an issue.

I saw my barred rock rooster over the last few days move his head & neck in an s-shape type movement. BYC has me wanting to burn the friggin coops down.
Tomorrow he's going to be captured and examined. What should I look for? Suggestions? Possible reason? And if you're going to tell me northern something mites ..don't. Coop and chickens will be gone.

Sorry I can't picture exactly what he's doing. Is he "stargazing" where his neck is bent back and he is looking upwards? Is he gulping where it looks like he's having difficulty swallowing something? Is he walking abnormally too?
Posting a youtube video is the best to get the right answer.
If you catch him, feel his crop, see if it seems abnormally large or squishy.

It's more like a slow head shake with a S shape to the movement. He walks and runs fine. Eats like a champ and is still busy being the Roo of the yard.
Not trying to swallowing ... That I know of. I've only seen him do it 3 times and it's after he crows.

Ugh! I hate catching roosters. They aren't easy to work with on your own.

I've read everything from something lodged in his throat, a cold, mites, ear infection, brain damage. Like wth!

If he only does it after he crows, it doesn't sound immediately serious. Any other symptoms? If not maybe its just the way your rooster is.
LOL you'd like my Buckeye rooster, I can just pick him up and he sits quietly in my arms. Nice boy that one.

You didn't buy a house on a ancient chicken burial ground, did you? ; )
I would listen to his breathing for congestion. Might have some mucus he's trying to dislodge. If so give him the spiciest thing in your kitchen... that should get things flowing.
Then again, maybe a long piece of grass or straw that's not going down the right way??

OK. Tomorrow he gets turmeric, rubbed oregano and garlic and a physical examination ... Cause I know what I'm doing?? some days I wonder what the heck I was thinking getting chickens

Cuttlefish wrote:You didn't buy a house on a ancient chicken burial ground, did you? ; )
I would listen to his breathing for congestion. Might have some mucus he's trying to dislodge. If so give him the spiciest thing in your kitchen... that should get things flowing.
Then again, maybe a long piece of grass or straw that's not going down the right way??

He has never crowed like a normal rooster ... But I'll get an up close listen tomorrow to his breathing. Oh boy. He won't be happy.

You know ..this place was not treated right. 4 years later and I'm still finding garbage .. The soil just pushed some garbage out of the ground I found the other day. A pop or beer can that is 50% gone and some febreeze container ..like a tiny bottle of febreeze and some other unidentifiable objects.
When we dug some of the ground up for a foundation for the garage....we found bones. Maybe a pet? Oops. Sorry

Robbie wrote:If he only does it after he crows, it doesn't sound immediately serious. Any other symptoms? If not maybe its just the way your rooster is.
LOL you'd like my Buckeye rooster, I can just pick him up and he sits quietly in my arms. Nice boy that one.

This one isn't nearly as bad as my (dead and eaten) terrorist, but he's still a big feisty boy. My silkies rooster is a breeze!!

Sandy, I"m finding the rapid change in temperature has affected my guys too. I've put them all on a rotating schedule of vitamins and supplements in their water just to help out for a bit. Vitamins can't hurt! Keep us posted!