Dead rooster :(

[Adelaide]

So I went to check on my 5 week old Cuckoo Marans last night and 1 of the 2 roosters (the biggest one) was dead on the bottom of the cage?? He was absolutely fine all day and the biggest and best looking of all the chickens...I just don't understand how he can go from perfectly healthy to stone dead in like 2 hours??

I am worried about the others now...is there anything I should check for?

 

[Mahonri]

Be certain they have plenty of clean, fresh water. I always elevate my waterers. Look over each chick... check their nostrils, see how they are breathing... how are they holding their head etc...

Sorry for your loss.... and God bless.

 

[Tangerine farmer]

I have read other posts asking this question. No one knows!

I had a Maran hen who was 4 months old... and found her drifting out.. and then "gone" a few minutes later. All very quiet. She had been around some sick chickens and may have had a respiratory problem that was coccidiosis. I had given antibiotics. Perhaps her liver didn't like it. I have no idea. They just seem to die!!!!!!!

It's better when they die on their own. I killed one last week and it was very sad.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
I've had them have their necks broken when another chick jumped on them just right; so has joletabey. They get rambunctious and it can happen.

 

[sourland]

Heart attack in a rapidly growing chicken is also a possibility.