Yesterday after I got home, I let the chickens out to free-range like I usually do (they only are out when we can watch them). They had been out for about 1/2 hour..I was sitting on the deck watching them. The wind was blowing, so every now and then when there would be a big gust they would take off running back to the coop. I noticed one of the rooster lying on the ground and it looked like he was "dusting" then I noticed he wasn't walking very well...by the time I got to him he was flopping around. I put him in a box, but he was going down fast, already out. He flopped around a little more and died. My better half got home and the first thing he thought was Snake..I hadn't thought of that, we haven't really ever seen any, but I have been clearing a rather brushy area up. I looked for bites on the roo and didn't see anything, but maybe a tiny place on one foot..nothing like a bite though..We also thought he may have had a heart attack with all that running to the coop..It's the strangest thing thing and now I'm afraid to let them OR the dog out...I will be doing some checking in the brushy area again this evening..I don't know if I hope to find a snake or not..
