How did my rooster die

[BaGAWK!!]

My husband found my free ranging rooster this morning hanging upside down in his tree, dead. His feet were still wrapped around the branch, his eyes were closed. He was perfectly normal yesterday. He got a little wet in the rain the other day but not as soaked as I've seen him. It's been chilly at night, in the 30s Last night but it's been colder lately and his hen that was roosting innthe tree next to him was dry this morning do I don't think it rained or anything.

He was a 2 1/2 yr old white leghorn, wonderfully friendly roo, great to his ladies too. I just don't know what it could have been. He along with the rest of the flock was wormed in September after seeing rounds in someones poop w/Valbazen (2x) and dusted for mites w/permethrin powder 4 wks ago.

My husband has his body outside for now, it's cold enough to preserve if need be. Does anyone know if I can still get some stool from him to do a fecal? Is 2 1/2 yrs old old for a leghorn roo? I got him as a few days old from Tractor Supply, my guess he's a hatchery bird. His eyes being closed tells me he died of something he felt coming on. Could it have been the cold even tho he's been out in this for a long time?

Ugh, he was such a great rooster...any light you can shed on this would help me so much right now.

 

[BaGAWK!!]

UPDate: I was thinking about this, I left a wheelbarrow of chicken poop/litter by the coop for a few days and it rained in it...my husband thinks he could have drank that water, even tho he had access to clean water. DH is making me feel very bad for this but it was a rough wk w/sister in from Alaska and mom and brother in from Michigan and full time work...I was glad to get to the coop to clean it. Oh no, could this have been what did him in? Oh God, I feel so terrible!!!!

 

[Henny peeny]

most fowl I have seen that die even when we had to do the deed the eyes are shut which I find odd since all other animals are open unless they died in their sleep. Did you check to see if he might of had a injury you didn't know about, I read that chickens can just have a heart attack no warning I had a silver spangled hen she was adult and had her for almost a year she was good that night and the next morning gone fell off the perch, she had no signs of injury and nothing I could see, but there she be. Sometimes they just die and there is nothing that could be done.

Yes you can get a poop sample but you have to open your rooster up and get it from the intestines or you might be able to ( I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS GRAPHICNESS HERE) put your finger in him and get some out (So sorry but trying to help) I do a necropsy on my animals I am not a theral maybe but I look to see what it could be I am no vet or vet tech but I have see many animals insides, so I think I would know something not right.


I am sorry to here of this.

Rhayden

 

[Evelle]

Mmmmm.. That is very interesting.
Not sure.. Now we're his feet tangeled in the tree??
Could he have gotten stuck and freaked out and panicked and broke his back or neck!?
My 6 month old leghorn strangled himself in a feed dish. Woke up one morning and he was paying dead on the ground with his head stuck

its not your falt! Don't blame yourself. My chickens eat dog poo all the time and drink from muddy puddles when they could easily drink from a bucket with clean water.

 

[BaGAWK!!]

The wheel barrow contents weren't moldy or anything, it's too cold for mold. No one thinks drinking it could have killed him?

 

[Evelle]

BaGAWK!! :

The wheel barrow contents weren't moldy or anything, it's too cold for mold. No one thinks drinking it could have killed him?

nope youd be surprised at what they actually eat when they free range with other animals around..
im sure that poopy dirty water wasnt the culpret.​

 

[Henny peeny]

OH don't bame yourself, it is a ACCIDENT that is, all it could of happened to any of us here. Chances are you couldn't of did anythng you didn't do, I rethink back that if I would of or should of but in the end you gave him all you could loved him, fed him and gave him everything you could of, what more could he of wanted. It is sad very sad when this happens so please don't kick youself too much, I think we all look back.

I am sorry for the loss.

Rhayden

 

[calamitykate]

My rooster was found dead this morning, huge Rhode Island Red. He was fine yesterday evening dead at 8 this morning. I performed a basic autopsy on his organs and all looked fine. Food in hi stomach , but nothing in his crop. fat deposits over the muscle and internally. He looked in fine health. As he was huge and a happy free ranger i think he must have had cardiac failure. Still he had a happy life and he was only about 2 years old.
I roasted him and the dogs had a fine dinner!
Best way to celebrate his short but happy life
.At the end of the day he was just a chicken, but I will have fond memories of him,even used to attack the hubby, but never me!