Buckeye Roos Dieing

[bigredfeather]

I have a flock of Buckeyes with about 50 birds. Over the past few months, I've lost 3 roos but no hens. They get very weak and thin, then pass away in just a few days. They aren't that old, one of them only being 2 years old. I've observed them enough to eliminate the possibility that the "top" roo is running them away from the feeder. I've never even seen any of them fight. I had 6 roos, so I'm down to 3. Luckily I hatched out some, so I'll have replacements, but it's really worrying me, and I'd like to get the problem fixed.

Any ideas?

 

[Wyandottes7]

I'm not sure why only the rooster are dying. However, worms are a possibility. Have you dewormed your birds lately? Worms cause weakness, loss of weight, and death. You might also see worms in their droppings, which would be indicative of a very high infestation.

If you haven't wormed them lately, I'd get a dewormer as soon as possible. SafeGuard (for goats) and Valbazen are two good broad-spectrum dewormers. The Worminator (http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=584), which I use, is also very good.

You say that one of them was "only two years old". How old were the other ones? It is possible that they are just dying of old age.

Are there any other symptoms, like sneezing, coughing, swelling of the face, etc? Symptoms like these would indicate a respiratory disease, but I do not think that this is the problem, or more of your birds would be infected.

Good luck! Keep us updated with any new findings.

 

[Eggcessive]

As wyandottes7 said worms are a possibilty. Lice and mites can cause a chicken to be anemic and weak also. Coccidiosis is pretty common this time of year, and even though they are older, they can still get it if a new strain is brought in on shoes or clothes. Bloody droppings are not always present, but the chicken might look listless and lethargic. Corid is the drug of choice for that.The other thing is to check their crops in the morning to make sure there is no impaction.