Our 18 week old Dominique rooster died today. :(

[mjcalkins]

Gizmo was fine yesterday... when I went to the coop to let the Peeps out this morning, he was on the floor, dead. No apparent injury. Our family is so sad over this loss. He was a good little guy...we'll miss his sweet crowing!!



This picture was taken 10-19-12...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

oh No! Any idea at all???

 

[CMV]

Sorry for your loss. Are you interested in trying to troubleshoot or are you just venting?

 

[mjcalkins]

I'd love to know how he died, but I'm guessing there was something wrong with him... or he was pushed off the roost and hit his head (not very likely, it seems) or possibly had a heart attack. Regardless, I was just venting... I was VERY shocked!! :/ He was a good little roo!!!! We miss him.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oh no. special place in my heart for dominiques, too. So sorry.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Did you examine him? And are you sure no one else is showing symptoms of anything?

 

[mjcalkins]

We looked him over- no sign of any trauma at all. It's been 2 days now, the girls all seem fine, thankfully. A bit nosier than normal, but perhaps that's because Gizmo made a lot of noise and the girls couldn't get a word in...

 

[CMV]

I am guessing one of 3 things-
1. Defective heart- very common. If he was found flopped over onto his back then this is your likely COD. This is called flip or flipover (yes, it's so common that it has a name).
2. Head/neck injury from falling off the roost- not unlikely, but not probable. Chickens generally protect their heads (like the rest of us) when they fall.
3. Liver laceration- common. Chickens have very fragile livers that are often fatally injured in an unprotected fall. Often the COD after a fall or a spook where the bird flies into a wall.

 

[PoultryGirly]

If you are willing to, you could let the vet do a necropsy on him.

 

[mjcalkins]

He was on his side, not his back, so probably not a heart problem, I'd guess. He looked like he was just sleeping... on his side... which they don't do. We'll never know for sure why he died. I chose to believe that the 26 girls were just too much for him. :/

I do appreciate the help!! We really miss his sweet crowing!!!

We already buried him. We briefly considered having him checked out, but since it wouldn't have changed anything, we decided against doing that.