Minnesota!

[Mistahbue]

So, I have a few jubilee orpingtons. They are about 3.5 months old. There were two roos that were like twins. Did everything together. They are big healthy roos, especially for their age. I went out there yesterday and everything was fine. Went out there a few hours later and found one of the roos dead inside the coop by the feeder, with his brother sitting on the right starting at him (so sad!!).

I only have a couple of thoughts...
1) sudden death, but he was laying with his back up, legs tucked under him, and had tucked all the way under him, eyes shut. It almost looked like he was flattened a little too... and he was starting to get stiff.

2) another older roo (I have 3, one is like 18lbs), could have killed him. Will a roo sit on top of another roo until they are dead? This was a fairly large one, but the other is triple his size. I didn't think this could happen because all of our roos are so nice. One will run the moment he hears anything to fix the problem. Guard dog. The big guy though, I saw him chase a much smaller roo out if the coop yesterday and scared him like crazy. This isn't typical behavior for this roo at all, he is big and slow and low man on the totem pole. But he is also learning he is a roo finally.

3) broken neck from flying into something. Extremely unlikely. These guys never go up high enough to fly into anything.

Poor guy.

So sorry about your roo

relative newbie here too - am learning hard way. I lost my favorite roo, OLE! (thank you @duluthralphie ) this fall.

Following - I've got 2 too many roos. Can't bring self to cull. Suspect I'm gonna end up with a roo pen......

 

[holm25]

How did you lose Ole!!

 

[scandiafowl]

Infamous Ole? May he rest in peace.
What happened to him?

 

[athalia17]

Yeah, the little roo was extremely healthy. Plenty of food and water, running around that morning. Thinking it might be either a rogue rooster got him, which is very unlikely... or sudden chicken death. I was reading about that and I think it might be the case. Here's a picture of that huge rooster I was talking about. He is really a gentle giant, but he is clumsy... So that might have been the case too. He is a blue orpington with what I believe is a lot of gold/red leakage. It's almost like he's a blue split with red. He's so beautiful even though it's technically a flaw. He's even bigger now and getting flowy tail feathers.

I'm newer on here. Posted a couple months ago selling a lemon cuckoo rooster, jubilee, and bbs... all orpingtons. I'm from Farmington.

This is my hubby and him in the fall. Two good looking guys!!

Here's my bbs orpington hen and roo.

 

[scandiafowl]

@athalia17

Losing a hen or rooster is tough. Keep posting here, we understand the highs and lows!

 

[holm25]

Yeah, the little roo was extremely healthy. Plenty of food and water, running around that morning. Thinking it might be either a rogue rooster got him, which is very unlikely... or sudden chicken death. I was reading about that and I think it might be the case. Here's a picture of that huge rooster I was talking about. He is really a gentle giant, but he is clumsy... So that might have been the case too. He is a blue orpington with what I believe is a lot of gold/red leakage. It's almost like he's a blue split with red. He's so beautiful even though it's technically a flaw. He's even bigger now and getting flowy tail feathers.

I'm newer on here. Posted a couple months ago selling a lemon cuckoo rooster, jubilee, and bbs... all orpingtons. I'm from Farmington.

This is my hubby and him in the fall. Two good looking guys!!

Here's my bbs orpington hen and roo.

Do you sell hatching eggs??

 

[Minniechickmama]

Almost midnight fly by.

Hugs to all who lost feathered ones these past few days. Da$&/ predators. Coyotes were tearing it up too darn close the other night. Let the male GP mix off the leash (keep him up until hunting season over). He came back to house 3 days in row with dang near a whole deer carcass. Roomie took off with him on Friday, I think it was, to see if she could see how close to our property. I just realized I forgot to ask her how close they were. Crap.

Have any of you tried the night guard predator lights? Since they are local the rookie went over a few weeks back and was able to pick up some refurbished for good price. Got two on coop and so far so good.

We've got the dogs in pen near the birds and I hope that helps. Does anyone have barn cats who sleep with their birds? I've got a couple who love to come in coop. One slept in smaller cage with a dozen Guinea meets. Still had the dozen when I went to let her out the next morning. I don't know if hey are attracted to the warmth of so many bodies or have the desire to "guard" their birds?

Got one hen laying - crazy girl. Climbs in the box at night and lays then moves to roost. Yesterday I found a newly laid - cause was still warm - egg but tonight found a cold one. I need a video camera in the coop I swear.....

Be careful around a crowds too - just getting over nasty stomach bug. Hope no one catches it.

Until my next fly by
Later taters

My daughter is being a "hypochondriatic" (her made up term) about the stomach flu. She came home Monday and said it was going around.
Nothing crazy about birds laying, the days are getting a little longer.
I have 2 chicken barn cats. They don't bother the birds one bit. In fact, each of them has been separately and accidentally been locked in the brooder house and never hurt a chick. In fact, the neutered male this fall, climbed in and was sitting like a broody with the 6 Silkie chicks I hatched. That was a little too close for me. I am very careful to keep them out of the brooder house now. I have fed them raw egg, and they LOVE them. I worry they might trying breaking some to help themselves though. They are both sweethearts and make going out to do chores that much more enjoyable, plus, they love catching mice.

So, I have a few jubilee orpingtons. They are about 3.5 months old. There were two roos that were like twins. Did everything together. They are big healthy roos, especially for their age. I went out there yesterday and everything was fine. Went out there a few hours later and found one of the roos dead inside the coop by the feeder, with his brother sitting on the right starting at him (so sad!!).

I only have a couple of thoughts...
1) sudden death, but he was laying with his back up, legs tucked under him, and had tucked all the way under him, eyes shut. It almost looked like he was flattened a little too... and he was starting to get stiff.

2) another older roo (I have 3, one is like 18lbs), could have killed him. Will a roo sit on top of another roo until they are dead? This was a fairly large one, but the other is triple his size. I didn't think this could happen because all of our roos are so nice. One will run the moment he hears anything to fix the problem. Guard dog. The big guy though, I saw him chase a much smaller roo out if the coop yesterday and scared him like crazy. This isn't typical behavior for this roo at all, he is big and slow and low man on the totem pole. But he is also learning he is a roo finally.

3) broken neck from flying into something. Extremely unlikely. These guys never go up high enough to fly into anything.

Poor guy.

I am sorry about your loss. Is it possible that your big guy smushed him? Yeah, but not likely. He was young and so there could have been several possibilities of what might have happened. Sometimes we just never get answers in cases like that.

Yeah, the little roo was extremely healthy. Plenty of food and water, running around that morning. Thinking it might be either a rogue rooster got him, which is very unlikely... or sudden chicken death. I was reading about that and I think it might be the case. Here's a picture of that huge rooster I was talking about. He is really a gentle giant, but he is clumsy... So that might have been the case too. He is a blue orpington with what I believe is a lot of gold/red leakage. It's almost like he's a blue split with red. He's so beautiful even though it's technically a flaw. He's even bigger now and getting flowy tail feathers.

I'm newer on here. Posted a couple months ago selling a lemon cuckoo rooster, jubilee, and bbs... all orpingtons. I'm from Farmington.

This is my hubby and him in the fall. Two good looking guys!!

Here's my bbs orpington hen and roo.

While your big rooster is gorgeous! He is not a recognized Orpington color. He is similar to a Blue Copper, but that doesn't exist in the Orpingon breed. You must be careful because just like mutt dogs, there are more than a handful of people crossing up chicken colors and throwing a name on them and selling them for way more than they are worth. The two in the last picture are beautiful examples of the Splash color you get from the Andalusian Blue variety of Orpingtons, or as you more often see it on here as BBS. I did breed Blue Orps until about a year and a half ago, and they are pretty birds. Now I just have the Blue Cochins and Blue Silkies Well, in Blue, that is. LOL

 

[Minniechickmama]

Do you sell hatching eggs??

ADDICT ALERT! ADDICT ALERT!!

 

[holm25]

ADDICT ALERT!  ADDICT ALERT!!

I know... I have a problem!! I am done asking peopke if they sell eggs!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

@holm23