My poor Lamp

[hotmessJess]

I found my sweet rooster, Lamp (named by a 5yr old), dead from possibly a broken neck. He was stiff so it was really hard to evaluate him, other than his feathers all seem to be there and he was still not all the way cold. I have had the windows open all day and didn't hear a peep from him. The only reason I went to check was because my other roo was heading in from the backyard (he sleeps in a dog house out front instead of the coop with the flock) and started sounding the emergency alarm. I go out and he's standing next to him kicking up quite a fit.

What would have gotten my chicken in broad daylight? The only "predator" that could have come into the yard without setting off all the roos would have been human, I suspect. We've had a few hawks, but I can't imagine they'd go after such a big bird when I have a dozen little guys running around.

Any thoughts before I go, guns blazing, to the neighbors? Anyone with similar experience?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is it possible he just died, about half my chickens will die without any apparent warning or signs because they are good at hiding anything that might be wrong.

 

[hotmessJess]

His neck was stretched away from his body and twisted. I'm not sure how that would have happened if he had just keeled over. But I'm not sure, either.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes when they die they go through convulsions, that's why necks will be pulled back and often there will be marks where they were moving their legs.

 

[hotmessJess]

Well there were no marks where he was laying. It was mud. His feet were pulled under him and his wings were down. I guess I can't be sure, but I'm suspicious because he was in fine physical health, still young, and the neighbor children are cruel to animals (they keep getting chickens that "mysteriously" die off inside their locked coop, though it's right next to my coop and I've yet to experience this phenomenon).

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have also seen chickens get frightened and jump into the wall and break their neck, as well as freak accidents involving other birds where a neck gets broken, just some more suggestions.

 

[hotmessJess]

He was out in the open, but I guess is possible he could have injured himself and moved there before he died. It just seems very strange, and I hate that it happened without any clear explanation.

 

[aart]

Well there were no marks where he was laying. It was mud. His feet were pulled under him and his wings were down. I guess I can't be sure, but I'm suspicious because he was in fine physical health, still young, and the neighbor children are cruel to animals (they keep getting chickens that "mysteriously" die off inside their locked coop, though it's right next to my coop and I've yet to experience this phenomenon).

So you think the neighbor kids killed your bird and left it sitting in the middle of a patch of mud with no tracks or markings nearby?

He could have been hit by a hawk, breaking his neck.
Not sure how he could still be warm, yet too stiff to examine?

 

[hotmessJess]

I think he could have been thrown over the fence (they've done that before with birds they've killed). Two days ago, they had one of MY roos locked in their coop/pen. He's the baby of a cornish x so he couldn't have flown over there.

He was stiff, completely stiff, but under his feathers he was still somewhere between 65-75°, not stark cold. He was definitely warmer than the 50° it was outside.

Another odd happening was those kids were looking around my yard where he was, last night, while harassing my other roo with a remote control helicopter.

I just find it very odd that a hawk could swoop in and none of the other 11 roosters made a sound (and the hawk completely disregarded the birds he could catch and eat).

 

[hotmessJess]

And there were footprints in the mud, but it's impossible to tell who's they are or how old. My sons have been out there too, and it's been raining nearly two weeks. That area is completely torn up. I didn't see any dog tracks or larger animals, but there were plenty of human and bird feet in the mud.