Rooster spent a few weeks hiding, and is now dead

[xanthin1]

We have 14 hens, and 2 roosters (now 1). Our Big Daddy rooster was a Silver laced Red Wyandotte, was raised from a chick and was 3 years old. We accidently ended up with another rooster (a black frizzle cochin) last summer. He was supposed to be a girl. We thought maybe he wouldn't challenge the bigger Roo since he was so little; not so. He is very feisty. A month ago or so (could be 2 months) we noticed our big Rooster was avoiding us whenever we let them out of the run to free range. There is a raised platform in our run the chickens like to hang out under when sunny, and he started spending a lot of time under there (when the chickens were confined to the run, they are only free-ranged on our property about 3 days a week). We thought maybe he was avoiding the young rooster. He has been hiding under there for weeks, and acting depressed. This morning I found him under there dead. I should also mention he has had some dark spots on his waddle near the bottom for over a year. I could never figure out what they were, and have no idea if they are a contributing factor (as there never seemed to be any other symptoms when I first noticed them, and they never seemed to get worse) All of our chicken eat payback layer ration and have fresh water.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. The dark spots look like they could be peck marks. I don't know of anything else, such as fowl pox scabs that would remain for a year. Your older rooster may have had some unknown illness that the others could have sensed, and he may have hid to not be picked on. If you ever have another death from an unknown cause, I would refrigerate the body, and send it to the state vet for a necropsy.

 

[xanthin1]

2nd dead rooster. A friend who lives in town and can't have roosters gave us an "accidental" rooster. He was young, about 3 months. Been doing fine, little skiddish, hadn't even heard him crow yet. This morning I found him dead on the floor of the coop. Could my Aggressive Banty Frizzle rooster be killing the competition? I can't think what else could be killing just my roosters. (I have 14 hens, they are all fine)

 

[peternaaman]

Maybe it might be your older rooster fighting them for death keep an eye on them when first introduced even if one of them is still small and weak

 

[Eggcessive]

I learned the hard way that introducing a rooster, or even a cockerel to a flock with a rooster can result in severe injury or death. Even when raising young cockerels from hatch sometimes can eventually end the same way when they start challenging each other. Sorry for your loss.