Not sure why my rooster died

[calrose]

Oh my, not sure what to ask here. Just sad and confused and wanted to share.
I'm fairly new new to raising chickens so I'm learning as I go.
I bought 6 little chicks, 3 Buff Orpingtons and 3 Road Island Reds, back in Aug. and was so excited to find out 1 Orpington was a rooster. His plumage was so beautiful. Had fun watching him protecting his harem, and hearing him learning to crow in the mornings.

Then today I let them all out to free range in a confined area, my rooster walked out and jumped on one of the reds right away, then walked away and keeled over dead. He seemed fine before that, no sign of being sick or fatigued or anything. Could he have had a heart attack or? He was only about 5 months old, seems very strange.
My hens seem ok, other than that they sense his absence.

Anyone else experience anything like this? I'm at a loss on this one.

Too sad!

.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you still have his body, you can refrigerate it in a plastic bag, and contact your state vet to get a necropsy. They can look for a cause of death, such as a heart problem. So sorry for your loss. If you let us know in what state you live, we may help more. Sorry for your loss. Here is a link on where to contact your state vet or poultry lab:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Eggcessive]

Depending on where you live, someone in your area may have an extra rooster that they might be glad to rehome. In the Fall many people who breed chickens will end up with a lot of extra cockerels, and I used to give them away to good homes. There are state threads here on BYC, sometimes more than one for each state, where people try to find chickens or homes for extras.

 

[ChickNanny13]

So sorry for your loss

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh my, not sure what to ask here. Just sad and confused and wanted to share.
I'm fairly new new to raising chickens so I'm learning as I go.
I bought 6 little chicks, 3 Buff Orpingtons and 3 Road Island Reds, back in Aug. and was so excited to find out 1 Orpington was a rooster. His plumage was so beautiful. Had fun watching him protecting his harem, and hearing him learning to crow in the mornings.

Then today I let them all out to free range in a confined area, my rooster walked out and jumped on one of the reds right away, then walked away and keeled over dead. He seemed fine before that, no sign of being sick or fatigued or anything. Could he have had a heart attack or? He was only about 5 months old, seems very strange.
My hens seem ok, other than that they sense his absence.

Anyone else experience anything like this? I'm at a loss on this one.

Too sad!

.

I'm sorry for your loss

 

[ReliezFarm]

sorry for your loss, if there were no signs of disease, it could be a simple heart failure. I've had young chickens just fall over dead for absolutely no reason. I'm in SF Bay Area and have a few extra roosters at the moment, if you need another.

 

[BansheeWildRose]

Was it his first time mating?

 

[Anaray]

He could have just had a weak heart to begin with and hormones kicking in was just too much for it. If you think about it, roosters do lead a stressful life with all those women to take care of.

I am sorry for your loss. It's always horrible.

 

[calrose]

sorry for your loss, if there were no signs of disease, it could be a simple heart failure. I've had young chickens just fall over dead for absolutely no reason. I'm in SF Bay Area and have a few extra roosters at the moment, if you need another.

That's sweet of you, I'm in San Diego area, a bit far from you though. It was my first rooster, wasn't sure if their needs are different than the hens. Guess we learn the hard way sometimes.

 

[calrose]

If you still have his body, you can refrigerate it in a plastic bag, and contact your state vet to get a necropsy. They can look for a cause of death, such as a heart problem. So sorry for your loss. If you let us know in what state you live, we may help more. Sorry for your loss. Here is a link on where to contact your state vet or poultry lab:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Thanks for your info. I really appreciate any help I can get from those of you more knowledgeable than me. I didn't keep him. It does seem that he just had a heart failure. Maybe birth defect or something. All the hens are fine so don't think he was sick.