Dead roo

[docdubz]

Dear chicken friend.. I've seen LOT's of rooster confrontations.. and THIS death is NOT the result of such! What was his age?

If you want to know the truth.. refrigerate and send in for necropsy.. could be disease like Marek's causing slow crop or other problems.. The testing is often free or affordable to back yard keepers.
State poultry labs

IMO.. that also was NOT a predator attack.. the poofy crop being the number one clue here.

Sorry for your loss!

Hope others thrive!

15 weeks. Does the Marek's vaccine not always work? I'd like to refrigerate but there's no room for it and I've been waiting months for a backordered fridge. If I can make room in the freezer would that work or does it need to only be refrigerated

 

[Chicalina]

chickens hide illness very well because they are prey animals and it could be fatal for them to appear weak and vulnerable. You may have missed this through no fault of your own.

I would check your other chickens throughly for any signs of illness. Crops, poop, behaviour etc just to make sure. Maybe do some prevention treatment too, such as feeding natural yoghurt, adding some chicken vitamins, garlic and ACV to their water for a week or so.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

15 weeks. Does the Marek's vaccine not always work? I'd like to refrigerate but there's no room for it and I've been waiting months for a backordered fridge. If I can make room in the freezer would that work or does it need to only be refrigerated

Yes, sometimes the vaccine is ineffective.. and quite simply does NOT EVER stop them from catching Marek's but usually stops symptoms like limping or other neurological symptoms.. it JUST masks or diminishes symptoms allowing the disease to proliferate and maybe mutate.. hidden among vaccinated flocks.. the exact reason WHY vaccinated birds are NOT welcome here!

No freezing is NOT an acceptable or preferred state in order to get an accurate picture.. refrigeration is a must.. the lab should be open tomorrow.. you could possibly use an ice chest to keep it cold but not frozen.

I'm sorry you face this and it may not be Marek's at all.. many things can look very similar.. the lab looks at cross sections of the brain/intestines. bursa, etc under a microscope to determine the correct diagnosis!

 

[LaFleche]

The comb, wattles and facial skin are a purplish blue which indicates cyanosis. He might have just died from a heart attack which is not unusual for a young cockerel.

Pecking on a dead body is normal behaviour, so nothing unusual and not a sign of the dominant rooster being the murderer.

 

[docdubz]

Yes, sometimes the vaccine is ineffective.. and quite simply does NOT EVER stop them from catching Marek's but usually stops symptoms like limping or other neurological symptoms.. it JUST masks or diminishes symptoms allowing the disease to proliferate and maybe mutate.. hidden among vaccinated flocks.. the exact reason WHY vaccinated birds are NOT welcome here!

I wish I knew that before I got my flock. Welp, this happened at a pretty bad time I just went through the list of labs and the closest one is far enough away that I couldn't make the drive until Wednesday at the earliest. Guess all I can do for now is give vitamins and hope it wasnt something contagious.

Also, I was so preoccupied with trying to figure out what went wrong that I completely forgot, they had dry pox which they got over about 2 weeks ago. And that rooster was one of the ones that had the most sores.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I wish I knew that before I got my flock. Welp, this happened at a pretty bad time I just went through the list of labs and the closest one is far enough away that I couldn't make the drive until Wednesday at the earliest.

This is a learning process for all of us.. and we make our best decisions we can with the information available to us at the time. Very sorry.. this is a hard time for many folks and these things certainly don't help.

I sent my bird Fed EX.. overnight.. contacting the lab with a call they can usually use their shipping account for a reduced or commercial rate compared to public rate. They will also tell you how to package it. But this link, if I didn't share already has some good information in that regard to help prepare. These instructions were listed on the UC Davis poultry lab website.. along with the forms to fill out and such.. but I still had to call them directly to get the account number for shipping.. Shipping *should* be more convenient and affordable than driving it all the way there.
How to Send a Bird for a Necropsy

Also, I was so preoccupied with trying to figure out what went wrong that I completely forgot, they had dry pox which they got over about 2 weeks ago. And that rooster was one of the ones that had the most sores.

Oh dear.. you may have had a perfect storm.. that brought something else to the surface.. it really is hard to say for sure. Pox means weakened immunity.. could lead to something as simple as coccidiosis. Not that I think coccidiosis.. but weakened immunity can allow for any number of things to take foot hold.

I really regretting not sending in one random death.. I thought was an accident I caused.. and already disposed of the carcass when another passed the next week. I put that one out for the feral cat, but realized one unexplained death was one thing.. but a second.. was unacceptable.. SO I grabbed it and sent it in. Knowing the truth can be scary.. but also liberating! Hang in there..

my favorite support (if I didn't state them already and sorry for repeating myself if I did).. and please don't offer any supplement more than 10 days in a row.. is Rooster Booster brand Poulrty Cell followed by Poultry nutri drench.. in this situation... Using a flock raiser or starter feed to maximize nutrition.. with os on the side for layers.. (I never switch). And it can't hurt to add in some human B COMPLEX if you've got it.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I'm wondering if all of the wounds are post mortem from pecking. And he just died of illness.

I agree with this thought. How old is the rooster that you found dead?

 

[docdubz]

I have them eating starter/grower alrea

I agree with this thought. How old is the rooster that you found dead?

About 15 weeks.

my favorite support (if I didn't state them already and sorry for repeating myself if I did).. and please don't offer any supplement more than 10 days in a row.. is Rooster Booster brand Poulrty Cell followed by Poultry nutri drench.. in this situation... Using a flock raiser or starter feed to maximize nutrition.. with os on the side for layers.. (I never switch). And it can't hurt to add in some human B COMPLEX if you've got it.

I have rooster booster poultry booster on hand and apple cider vinegar which iirc is good for b vitamins and they are already on starter/grower crumbles, I decided not to switch to all flock pellets since they had pox. I do not have the nutri drench though.

 

[shineandrise]

I am guessing that it was just ill... and then died. I have had a very similar thing happen to our chickens, and then it just got pecked at by the other ones. So sorry for you.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

rooster booster poultry booster

Is that the same as poultry cell? Maybe not, they make a lot of products. and they are not really created equal. The main question for me with the one you mention.. why so high in calcium? The following two links if you open them in separate tabs side by side you can scroll down and see the differences easily.. Though one being liquid and the other dry..
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rooster-booster-poultry-booster-125-lb

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rooster-booster-poultry-cell-16-oz

ACV is NOT going to have the range of B vitamins that a complex will.

Just suggestions for consideration though.. and my personal opinions.. there are no magic fixes for real.. just doing our best! Please use your best judgement.. Sounds like you are doing just about all that you can!

Also note the poultry cell does NOT mix well in water.. so prefer to offer it mixed into wet feed to help suspend it a little better... if you decide to add it to your combat supply cabinet.. that top dressing you are using says it treats 50# worth of feed.. probably useful.. but definitely a different product and as far as I can tell.. not sure truly which is a better choice or if it matters at all!