My rooster died, not sure why....

[eenie114]

Well, my rooster died. He had been missing for about 2 or 3 days, and my sister found him in a nesting box this afternoon. I had checked all the nesting boxes before, and he wasn't there. He doesn't have any injuries, and was seemingly perfectly healthy. I had him for about a year, and he was still a ''teenager'' when I got him. Any ideas on what it was, and any ways to prevent it from happening again?

Thanks.
P.S. Do hens live longer than roosters?

 

[MakNat]

If he was missing for 2 or 3 days, odds are a predator got to him and he got away with internal injuries. Especially going to a nest box to die, where he felt comfortable. So Sorry for your loss. Pretty sure hens and roos have the same life expectancy.

 

[the Old Rebel]

I agree with MakNat about the predator.... or else he ate something he shouldn't have. Roos and hens have the same life expectancy which, on my farm, is six or seven years. I'm not sure what their life expectancy really is. I thought they could live to be like 13 years, but all of mine that die from natural causes seem to be six or seven. I had one roo make it to 8 years, 4 months, and 20 days, but he was the exception.

Did you check your roo over carefully for injuries?? Did he have any kind of smell about him?? Was his crop full or empty??

So sorry for your loss. He was much too young to die. Please let us know if you find out what it was.

 

[eenie114]

Crop? How do I check THAT?? No idea!! No smell, exept for the normal chicken smell. 8 years, 4 months, and 20 days, huh? May I ask why you were counting?

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

Sorry for your loss