Sick rooster died

[HeatherMarieR]

I've posted a few times since yesterday about my rooster that started acting sick yesterday ( I know y'all are probably sick of hearing from me by now, I'm sorry). I came home from buying him some different things to try out from Tractor Supply, to find him dead. What could possibly cause him to go from seemingly fine and very active to dead in such a short amount of time? He wasn't eating or drinking much as of this morning, pale comb and waddle that was maybe slightly purplish at the tips, laying around a lot, slightly runny feces that seemed to be more urine that actual poop, labored breathing, and his wings were hanging down most of the time when he'd stand. I wondered about Marek's, but he never appeared to be paralyzed.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Mareks can possibly kill quickly and doesn't necessarily have to be associated with paralysis.
That said, Marek's is unlikely.
There could be about 50 different things that will kill a bird quickly.
How old is he? Is he with a flock of hens? What feed have they been on?

The only way to know for sure is with lab work from a necropsy. Anything else would be no better than a guess.

 

[enola]

What did his breast bone feel like? Was he thin? Did you open him up to see any internal problems?

 

[HeatherMarieR]

Mareks can possibly kill quickly and doesn't necessarily have to be associated with paralysis.
That said, Marek's is unlikely.
There could be about 50 different things that will kill a bird quickly.
How old is he? Is he with a flock of hens? What feed have they been on?

The only way to know for sure is with lab work from a necropsy. Anything else would be no better than a guess.

He was around 6 months and he was with a flock of several other hens and roosters along with my ducks who all free range. They've been Purina Scratch Grain SunFresh Recipe mixed with Purina Layena Plus Omega 3 Pellets. I thought about doing a necropsy, but I don't know of any place around here that will do one, and I doubt I could handle doing it myself.

 

[HeatherMarieR]

What did his breast bone feel like? Was he thin? Did you open him up to see any internal problems?

I felt on his crop area and it felt empty. He wasn't really thin though. Until he got sick, he ate like a little piggy. Even yesterday he was eating quite a bit. I didn't open him up.

 

[enola]

Maybe he had worms. Have you wormed your flock?

 

[HeatherMarieR]

Maybe he had worms. Have you wormed your flock?

I've been worming them with Molly's Herbal wormer, and it's been working great for the others, but I wondered if somehow it wasn't working on him. I had just gotten back from the store with some Safeguard wormer for goats when I found him dead.

 

[enola]

If you have been worming them with an herbal wormer, my guess is it is not working as great as you think. Do your flock a favor and worm them all with the Safeguard. If you worm them for 5 consecutive days, you will have treated all of the varieties of worms chickens can possibly have.

Sorry for your loss.