Are there any illness in chickens that predominantly effect cockerels?

Lobzi

Crowing
14 Years
May 6, 2008
2,332
276
356
San Francisco Bay Area, EB
Ive had three roos die very close together. They all showed the same symptoms of lethargy, drooping wings and/or difficulty walking probably as a result of weakness, not sure. Im just stumped that out of my flock of probably 30-40 birds, only the males seem to be stricken.
 
Do your roosters stay in one pen together, like a bachelor pad? Or do they mix with the hens? Do they all free range together, including hens? Inspect them for lice/mites. Other than that, anything else would also include your hens being affected. Actually, even lice or mites would affect your hens as well. A little more info would help.
 
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First, thank you for your comment. I appreciate my posts being answered in any form.
Well they all are free to hang out together, free-range during the day and sleep wherever they choose on the roost at night in the coop. Of course there are groups that feel more comfortable hanging out together. The ones that just died, Id say, were more likely to be around each other but Snowy was the typical roo vying for top position, mating and knocking other roos off the hens. I have one other little roo that is less mature than I think he should be (not crowing or trying to mate yet though he is well over 5 months) and he seems to have lower energy than most but not seeming to be sick like the other two I just lost.
I wonder if whatever is getting to them is attacking them all but the males maybe are a little less able to fight off the bacterium or virus. I have never seen any mites or other organisms on any of my birds but I guess there could be a first time. I should send them in for necropsy but because they are my pets I just have a hard time doing that with their bodies.
 

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