Dead Bantam

[chickensnewtome]

This morning when I opened the coop to let all of my chickens out i noticed that my biggest japanese bantam was dead in the nest box. It didnt have any signs of being pecked and yesterday it was totally healthy. Yesterday we had an unexpected rain downpour and the bantams hid under the coop instead of jumping up in it. Could this be the reason he died? We have just started letting the bantams sleep in the coop with my full sized breeds could this be the reason? I just have no clue. It was so unexpected!

 

[realsis]

I'm very sorry for your loss! Without any real clues I couldn't even begin to guess what happened to her. I doubt going under the coop is related to her death unless there is something under the coop that can hurt her. I wish I could be of more help but there are not enough clues to make a guess what happened. Again I'm very sorry for your loss! I wish I could be of more help!

 

[chickensnewtome]

Thank you. What I was wandering is if he got wet and then I put him up for bed could he have died from a chill? the coop stands three foot above the ground so there is nothing under there that could have hurt him. He was fine last night then dead this morning.

 

[chooks4life]

Highly unlikely the bird died from chill unless it was soaked, totally, and the night was cold enough to at least frost the grass. In my best guess, your bird has been possibly accidentally but maybe deliberately jumped on or kicked by a larger bird, and gotten a fractured skeleton or other injury.

When banties and full size fowl are sorting out their hierarchy, banties often try to take a dominant role despite size, and even a gentle larger bird can accidentally kill a smaller one with a small kick. I've had a few birds with smashed skeletons, most survived because I kept them immobile while awaiting healing, but if something important got ruptured or bruised enough that would be the end.

It's not common for big birds to kill banties in my experience, in fact over here it's more common for banties to kill bigger birds, but accidents do happen. The bigger bird could have flown down from the perch and landed on the banty for example; even a small bird can hurt a large bird that way. I range banties with my larger fowl without problem year in and out, I've had a total of one bantam get a broken skeleton. She's fine though.

 

[chickensnewtome]

I was thinking this was possible. I was late getting up this morning and my Banties don't perch they just sleep in a nest box. I think that maybe a bigger one (which has been aggressive to them lately) Might have killed it either on purpose or by accident. when i found the bantam it was still warm so I know it happened this morning. I didnt mean to sleep in.

 

[chickensnewtome]

I found my Barred Rock, The mean one, stomping on a bantam today and killed it. I know what I have to do.

 

[chooks4life]

I did have to cull a few roosters for cruel behaviour to banty hens. One hen just sat there refusing to mate until I removed the rooster, he'd begun ripping out all her feathers in frustration. He also attacked me at a later date.

I also don't tolerate nasty hens, not that I've had any real problems with them. Good thing you found the nasty chook. All the best.

 

[chickensnewtome]

After seperating my Bantams into their old brooder I now know that they do not have a disease it definitely is the Barred Rock killing them. She will be culled as soon as she is big enough to make a good sunday dinner.

 

[chooks4life]

Good on you, you're doing your bit for chooks everywhere by eradicating this aberrant creature. Might not be her fault she's become what she is but that doesn't mean she should be allowed to breed it on, and in my experience you can't train her out of it. People bred violent chooks, so she's inherited that ingrained behaviour, but at least it ends with her.