yesterday I was feeding my chickens. I had 2 roosters and 4 hens. They frequently fought over food. The rooster Little Roo would bite the hens necks and chase them from the food. They have plenty of space and clean area , well fed etc. Anyway as I said I was feeding them chopped up cucumber and they started fighting again. The Little Roo started it with a hen and Next thing I knew my Little Roo was running around the pen squawking and having a hard time holding his head up. He started flopping and before i could undo the wire to get to him (I ran inside for hubbies assistance) When we came out together (Instantly ) he had flopped for the last time and was dead . He had flopped from one end of the pen to the other a 7 foot by 7 foot area. What happened ? Had the one chicken Big Roo bit him in the back of the neck and broken his spine? He was normal and healthy up to this last fight over food. They are well fed I use cracked corn mixed with pelletts for layers and if I don't let them peck at the grass i hand pick 4 to 6 big handfuls of Clover for them daily. They had plenty of water and food available. They like the sour clover I pick for them plus the regular clover. My yard is full of clover. Anyway this last treat was a bowl of diced up cucumber from the garden. Little Roo would start and chase the hens away from the food source and he would bite the hens on the back of the neck. Usually the Big Roo would go after Little Ro after Little Ro acted aggressive to one of hte hens. I didn't see the actual biting of the rooster as I was not looking at him when it happened although I was standing right outside their cage. I was yelling a them for fighting again. Daily and constant behavior. They are only 4 month old so they are prob just beginning to be active as adult behaviors. Teens ? This one rooster was the self proclaimed leader. He was aggressive even with me at Bed time mostly. He would pace the run until the others were inside in bed and I shut the door at night. He watched out for all the others and If I petted one and they squawked he was ever allert to his hens. Hate see him go but am wondering if this kind of killing is normal and happens a lot with young roosters. The big rooster would always retaliate to the little aggressive one if he picked on the hens. So I think he was the one that bit him and killed him. Please let me know if that is the likely reason he did this flopping death march. He could not stand and head drooped until he died within 4 minutes after the neck bite. BTW the flock were so subdued after they saw their brother laying dead in their pen. I took him out immediately and they were and are still so subdued today. The large rooster was acting weird after the death of his brother roo too. Anyway the main thing is what did the neck bite do to the rooster? Did it snap his spine? or did it in some way puncture a lung? There was no blood or anything. If I had not seen it I would be wondering how or why he died. It was very sad to say the least. All the chickens were treated as pets and were held and petted a lot. Some times daily . They were treated with a short time on my lap and on the swing. Something they loved to do . Especially this one the agggressive Little Ro as I called him. I would tame his aggressive behavior by giving him a special time on my lap on the swing. I will miss him but I am glad that the fighting seems to have ended with his end. Has anybody else seen a chicken kill another chicken with one bite to the back of the neck? I am concerned that there was not another reason for this death other than the Death by Bite that i think happened.
