Rooster just wasted away - any ideas?

[molliescollies]

Hi all. I wonder if anybody has any ideas about this. I just lost my rooster this am. I noticed about 3 days ago that he quit crowing (I thought I was just getting used to it). Then two days ago he seemed to be moving slower than usual. Still I didn't think much about it. Last night he didn't want to go to his usual roost. I picked him up and was shocked to feel him. It was holding a chicken skeleton with feathers! He just wasted away. I hand fed him last night and he ate and drank until he was full, so I put him back in the coop. This am he was worse and he died a few hours ago. He was given to me by a neighbor about 2 months ago, so I don't know how old he was or anything. My main concern is to the rest of my chickens. I have an adult pullet (that was given to me at the same time) plus 5-2 month old chicks. They all seem to be fine. I would appreciate any input either as to what it could have been and if I should do something for the rest to prevent it from happening to any of the others. I feel just terrible, like I should have known he was sick.

Thanks for any input.

 

[c1tph]

Similar thing happened to me last week. I bought two Plymouth Rock Hens at the same time when they were only a few months old. Many months later one was double the size of the other. The smaller one just never grew. Ate and drank and seemed healthy until the other day when it became lethargic. Had to pick it up to put it in the coop at night and it was skin and bones like yours. Dead in the morning.

I have no idea what made it happen, but it was many months that went by when it was very skinny and I'm assuming if it was something contagious the others would have caught it by now. My five other hens are healthy as far as I can tell.

I'm hoping it was just some kind of birth defect. Hope this is the case for both of us

All the best.

 

[Mahonri]

Worms?