My alpha rooster acted fine yesterday morning and by late afternoon he was laying in a nest, away from the flock. He was extremely lethargic, but no other symptoms. This morning, I just found him dead in the coop. We are sending him for a necropsy, to make sure it wasn't something that will spread.
This morning, my older hens, that grew up with him, are acting depressed. One didn't get off the roost, until I removed my rooster. The ones that seem depressed, are NOT lethargic. When I try to scoop them up, they are very much active.
Should I worry about illness, at this point, or will hens mourn the loss of their rooster? I've lost hens before, and the others seemed a little sad, but not like this.
This morning, my older hens, that grew up with him, are acting depressed. One didn't get off the roost, until I removed my rooster. The ones that seem depressed, are NOT lethargic. When I try to scoop them up, they are very much active.
Should I worry about illness, at this point, or will hens mourn the loss of their rooster? I've lost hens before, and the others seemed a little sad, but not like this.
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