Sudden death, fighting or something else?

[Leslieb118]

Here we go again. I'm out of town for a few days and my son is chicken sitting. All was fine when I left yesterday afternoon, as well as earlier today. My son went outside to find one of my young, but huge roosters dead in a heap of his own feathers. Most missing were from his back. He didn't see any blood anywhere. It's been over 100 degrees the past several days. He was a pretty passive roo, hatched on march 9th. No predators were found in the coop or run. He doesn't think the roo was dead very long. Would the others pluck his feathers? Could my older rooster attack and kill him with no evidence of blood anywhere? My oldest rooster is almost 11 months old and his spurs are still rounded and dull. He was seemingly very healthy and the heaviest of all of them. He was a barred rock, EE mix with something that gave him feathered feet. Any ideas? I'm going to try to attach a pic that was texted to me, but I'm on my phone now and can't guarantee anything. Also I had my little frizzle roo die recently from apparent mareks. This guy wasn't sick as of this morning.Thanks!

 

[centrarchid]

Your description is not consistent with Galicide. Rooster attacted by another will exhibit numerous small cut about head and often swelling of same area. Feathers coming of in large numbers not typical either. Reconsider possibility another player got in and out of your run. Any tissue / skin / muscle missing?

 

[Leslieb118]

He said he didn't see any injuries at all. Just a patch of feathers missing from his back and the feathers were all piled around his body. All of the other chickens are ok. I couldn't get the picture to post from my phone. I've never had a predator issue at all, and during the day is a surprise to me. The cover of the run was intact, both doors closed. Coop doors stay open during the day but they're locked inside the coop at night. Weird that I've never had a problem until I decide to go out of town too.

 

[chkn]

Well, that was some type of predator or dog. Maybe the attack was interrupted.

 

[centrarchid]

Well, that was some type of predator or dog. Maybe the attack was interrupted.

The chicken apparently being dead for short time when discovered makes this very plausible.


Could we see picture of your setup? I want to see corners, top and where coop contacts ground and other containment components.

 

[Leslieb118]

I can't upload from my phone, but it's possible the pic is in my default album. That one shows 2 10x10 chain link kennels but I've since combined to a 10x30 by taking the center panels out and using for length. The top right side is covered by a shade cover which was intact. The other 10x20 on the left is covered by 2 layers of bird netting which was still intact. The bird was found in front of the right front post of the raised coop.

 

[centrarchid]

I can't upload from my phone, but it's possible the pic is in my default album. That one shows 2 10x10 chain link kennels but I've since combined to a 10x30 by taking the center panels out and using for length. The top right side is covered by a shade cover which was intact. The other 10x20 on the left is covered by 2 layers of bird netting which was still intact. The bird was found in front of the right front post of the raised coop.

Areas around doors / gates can be squeezed past by raccoon, especially one that is not a monster. If you can force your hand and arm through any place where shade cloth and kennel come together you have a potetential weakness. Dog kennels I have access to would not be coon resistant without dog patrolling perimeter or some serious investment in more wire.

 

[Leslieb118]

I'm starting to wonder if one of my neighbors cats got in there under the gate. They come across the street on one side of my property, make their way to the backside and out the other side by my horse barn. They kill the mice in my barn and go back home. Never had issue with the chickens even while ranging. I've seen a new cat recently so that makes me wonder if it's the culprit. I had blocked off any other gaps with concrete blocks which leaves the bottom corner of the gate as the only other way. I know my setup is not completely predator proof and that's why my diligence with making sure they are secure inside the coop at night. This was the middle of the day, and for the first time ever, I've left them. I've asked my son to find gaps and fix them. I had put chicken wire all around the bottom half of the chain link to keep my sebright pair in while they were smaller. I have that and hardware cloth so hopefully he can come up with something until I get home

 

[centrarchid]

Do not rule anything out. Try setting up a live-trap baited with a chunk of chicken. You may catch culprit that way.