Sudden death in 2 year old cock

[Weetamoo93]

I figure this might be the best place but move my thread where appropriate otherwise.

I'm frustrated because I went to lock up my birds and my cock was dead. Just slumped in front of their feeder a good 10 feet from the coop. At first glance I thought that he was sleeping, but realized something was amiss when he did not look up. I went over to find him dead. I panicked, thinking it was an animal attack but can find no signs of injury. He was on his feet like he had settled to rest. He was even still warm when I found him. He was drooling what appeared to be liquid feed which made me think possible choking, but that could also just be his crop draining.

All other chickens are accounted for and I thankfully have a backup cockerel who will turn one year next month.

I do harvest my birds, so that is also a meal gone for my family. The consensus was since we didn't know cause of death not to proceed with processing.

I'm just ticked to not know what happened.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. Could you do a necropsy on his body? Do you still have it? If you do a necropsy, take pictures of his liver, intestines, and any other organs. Post them here.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Sorry for your loss. Could you do a necropsy on his body? Do you still have it? If you do a necropsy, take pictures of his liver, intestines, and any other organs. Post them here.

I do have it.

I'll do that. I'd like to know what happened if possible.

 

[Weetamoo93]

I could not find any injuries upon further study of the carcass; no bites, bruises, or broken anything.

When I picked him up to attempt my first necropsy, he did make a very wet garble post mortem. I've had birds "talk" during harvest, but not this wet burble. There was also a wet spot on the concrete that looks to have been some drainage from his mouth and nose.

I did my best to get photos of most the organs, including his full crop and trachea.

I'm no expert, but I think everything looks good. I didn't remove any organs.

ETA: I had let him and the others out to free range at about 6 pm and found him dead about an hour and a half later. He was fine at the time. Coincidentally, we killed a cotton mouth in that time frame. Not sure if chickens can be killed that rapidly by snake venom or not if he came in contact with another elsewhere.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for the pictures. I can’t see anything obvious. Sometimes they can have a heart problem that might show up, but I am an amateur at doing necropsies. Interesting about the snake. I would think he would have had some evidence of a bite, and a lot of swelling if the snake got him.