Chest rattle, deep breathing

At the auction, Moose picked up 3 beautiful white Chanty birds. I noticed after releasing the 3 from their box the Roo (who I'll probably refer to as Red from now on) had a bit of a strange struggle of a crow, but my banty roo (Fabio) has a rattle after crowing as well so I didn't really think too much of it.

Anyway, Red has been placed in with Chuck and Fabio in their own little bachelor pad and all 3 are still working out their differences. I noted this morning when I went in, Red was taking long, deep breaths with his beak held open quite wide, and every 3 or 4 breaths he'd struggle a little bit and then he'd release a very deep rattle I can akin to hearing a child with a chest cold coughing.

Somewhat fatalistic, I'm of the mindset that if he's going to be in our breeding program, vigor is important and I considered (I think Moose may have as well) just seeing if he pulled through on his own. However, I'm also considering picking up Antibiotics today since he's separated from the girls and I can further part him from the guys since I'm considering offing Chuck this weekend (I've been saying that for a month, mind you). I have Apple Cider Vinegar in their water (with the mother, but still not health-food quality, haven't found any here yet), there's a bowl of free choice DE and I will be picking up Stress-Aid today. I wanted to pick up this Pol-vite everyone talks about, but the feed store just looks at me with a giant question mark above their head. He does not have any mucus on his nose or beak, his eyes are still bright and he still stands tall and highsteps more than any roo I own (which I laugh at). I'm worried about the rattle, however.

I checked the girls today to see how they were doing, and they have no signs of a chest rattle, are cleaning up really well (their backs were dirty) rolling around in fresh hay and are, though understandably skittish, pretty calm and have laid a couple eggs already for us.

We know this is a risk you take at Auction, but these guys were beautiful, a fair price after all was said and done, and about 95% true to type (the roo has a peacomb that looks, slightly, off as it dips down about half way through and comes back up).

Anyway, I guess what I'm asking is: should I take a natural approach and pop some vitamins in the water with the vinegar and see where it goes, or is this to the point where it needs should to have Antibiotics? Your opinion is appreciated as always!

Sorry, but to be perfectly honest if you want to breed good quality chants cull. Chants should not have pea combs. Neither should they have resiratory problems, they were bred for the worst of canadian conditions and should need no vitamins antibiotics or otherwise. Cull or you reproduce weaklings. Chantecler are not weak birds..their name means "brightly singing" which is synonymous with vigor, fertility and strength. Where did I read that the Italians referred to them as fighting leghorns. Buckeye have fighting Aseel in them and it takes three of my buckys working together(they do that yes)to hold off one of my smallest Chantecler roosters. My bestest Chant roo comes when called, has never harmed a young chick,calls the chicks and will not eat until the chicks have their fill, has never displayed illness of any sort, never displayed aggression to me, weighs exacly 8.5 lb. That my friend is an underweight but good chantecler with near 100% fertility. The line is from Coyote Acres.
I hope this helps you get on the Right track with them, they are an awesome bird on or off the table.

reneggaide wrote:Chants should not have pea combs.

Sorry, I mispoke and I'm not sure why -- Cushion comb is what they have,

We kind of decided to just give him some stress-aid in his water and see if he pulls through. He's quarantined away and I'm keeping an eye on the girls. He's also not a fighter. I have a picture of him but he's bloody in it because he seems to have been at the losing end of things from the others in the bachelor pad. I don't know if it was because he wasn't feeling well that he back down, but my other roos did not give up on him it seems, though they all have some war wounds.

I think from this point on, unless my roos are raised together I won't be keeping them together, I can't just let them 'fight it out'... bothers me.

Sweetened, I kept 6 of the biggest,dominant Roos together all winter, sure there were fights and occasional blood. What I could not do was take one out then put him back in...one way trip or it was too brutal even for me. Nor could I put a weaker roo in, they would kill it even though they were hatch mates. A breeding quality Chantecler rooster should not ever be so easily bested as you say yours was. I have some real nasty buggers here and they run from chantecler roosters.
Yes, look after them best you are able, but they should not be pampered under any circumstances in my opinion, they were specifically selected for the nastiest farm conditions by their creator. I can even show you a very rare picture of Brother Wilfred that proves this.
My honest opinion is that you are wasting time and resources on him, let him go and seek out proper breeding stock privately, you will have a much better chance of getting an actual breeding quality bird.
It's your choice, I'm just trying to help, as I was helped.

HI Ren.

I didn't take any offence at all, nor did I shirk your words -- I am grateful for your advice. Vigor is something I wish, whole heartedly for my breeding program, so I gave him some stress aid and have left him alone, we'll see if he pulls through as well as how our other young Chanties turn out and if we have a roo in that mix

cool! Any time you want to discuss chanties Im all for it. My extras are free ranging the yard and doing great. There have been losses from various things, but overall they are quite healthy and strong. I know Patric has already selected for constitution so I think Im ok to move on to other selection points as long as I keep vigor and fertility up. It hurt to do it but I took in hens for process that just didnt live up to the chantecler reputation for laying, but they are so very well fleshed they definitely fit the description in that sense.
Good luck Sweetened, and I do mean that kindly.

reneggaide wrote:
Yes, look after them best you are able, but they should not be pampered under any circumstances in my opinion, they were specifically selected for the nastiest farm conditions by their creator. I can even show you a very rare picture of Brother Wilfred that proves this.
My honest opinion is that you are wasting time and resources on him, let him go and seek out proper breeding stock privately

Totally agree with Rennegaide, you only want tough stock, anything showing weakness, off with the head. I am 100% there, I am brutal too....

Rennegaide, you are teasing. Please, please, please....I wanna see the rare picture of what Brother Wilfred was doing, can you please bring it here for us to look at? If not public, please email it to me, I wanna see, I wanna see, smiling. Beautiful days to us all, CynthiaM.

Sorry, I cant figure out how to post this pic, I can only email it.
So what do you think CynthiaM? Interesting? No?

Yep, Rennegaide, that was some interesting looking picture, sorry didn't get back to you, if you want me to post it for you, say the word, but I won't do it, unless you says the words. Beautiful days, CynthiaM.

Please do, thank you for your discretion CynthiaM.

reneggaide wrote:Please do, thank you for your discretion CynthiaM.

Absolutely, you are welcome. This was a picture of most interesting stuff that Reneggaide sent to me, I have uploaded it for him to bring to our forum for all our friends to get a gander at. It is most impressive. Look at the coops that the birds were raised in, and that massive flock of beautiful birds....lots of cool things to see here, look closely. Have a most beautiful day, CynthiaM.

Reneggaide please make some comments about this, I know you can, I know you can, I know you can

Ok.
And I must say this is already posted here on forum but no one seemed to notice it much.
We know that Brother Wilfred made Chantecler because of the very high winter mortality rates for poultry. Respiratory illness was the usual culprit, along with inability to tolerate cold.
Now these are completely my own comments and observations, refute them if you can. You will see the monastery above, the pens below, low places harbor the nasty things in nature. The coops use A-frame construction, this is used in high snowfall areas to bear the weight of the snow. The snow would have piled up between coops making the best insulation in winter. The coops, I think, would have been uninsulated. This would generate a great deal of condensation which may have almost rained on them, a condition that can easily result in pneumonia type illnesses. I believe that only the hardiest would have survived this unscathed, resulting in a breed that should be for the most part immune to respiratory diseases.
Can you see the chantecler? Too easy! There are more if you observe carefully!

A pic is worth a thousand words they say, so what can you interpret from this photo?

Aside, I have observed that my Chants tolerate wet cold conditions very well where the Buckeye suffer, while the Buckeye tolerate the dry -35 easily and the Chants will suffer. Perhaps I have room to cull too, as this is definitely not pleasing to me.

Hey Sweetened! Just wondering how Red is doing? Have you seen any improvement in him?

Hi Klassy

Thanks for asking. Red's doing really well and seems to have almost made a full recovery. I was talking with a friend who suggested they may have come from a very ammonia laden environment and, perhaps, had some issues because of that which are clearing up from his new keeping conditions.

He wanders out and about in his yard, crows without choking and is eating like a pig. Now if those feathers on his tail and in the back of his head would hurry up and grow back

So great to hear! Nothing worse then bringing home a new bird to find it having issues.

Fresh air! Yes! ALL the old books say this over and over, fresh air and exercise are the best thing to keep them healthy.