Sudden seizures in a rooster

[Heorth the Half-pint Home]

What could cause this?

My little Old English Game bantam rooster, Vizzini, was fine when I left for the faire this afternoon. When I got home I found him seizing in the coop. He was mostly limp, the tips of his comb were deep purple and he had a small lump on his face under his eye. He passed in my lap, getting cuddles and pets.

I'm trying to get ahold of my vet in the morning to get a necropsy done. But I'm paranoid about the rest of my little flock now since this is the first chicken I've ever lost.

I use the deep litter method of bedding and I just moved them until a new disinfected coop last weekend. They free range during the day with constant access to shade, food, water, and cover in multiple spots.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

When I got home I found him seizing in the coop. He was mostly limp, the tips of his comb were deep purple and he had a small lump on his face under his eye. He passed in my lap, getting cuddles and pets.

I'm sorry to hear about your rooster.

It's good that you may be able to have a necropsy. If your vet is unable to do that for you, try your state lab. https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Something interesting you mention was a lump on his face under his eye. Could he have been bitten/stung or even gotten into a fight with another rooster?
It would be speculation on our part to even guess what happened, but I wonder if something like that may have been the cause.

 

[Heorth the Half-pint Home]

I'm sorry to hear about your rooster.

It's good that you may be able to have a necropsy. If your vet is unable to do that for you, try your state lab. https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Something interesting you mention was a lump on his face under his eye. Could he have been bitten/stung or even gotten into a fight with another rooster?
It would be speculation on our part to even guess what happened, but I wonder if something like that may have been the cause.

Thank you for the link to find a lab. I'm hoping my vet can do it but I'll check there if not.

I'll be honest, I'm hoping for something that simple. We do have other roosters we were raising up for food that free ranged with him. So it's possible he got in a fight with one of them. I'm scrubbing everything out tomorrow and disinfecting just to be safe.

I'm just petrified of it being something contagious that'll take out both the rest of my flock and the parrot I have in the house.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Let us know what you find out.