???! What could possibly have happened?Roo died over night.

[19hhbelgian]

I lost one of my serama roo's last night. I went out to check every one this morning, and he was laying where they'd always sleep, eyes closed and everything. I looked him over - no signs of anything, literally! It looks like he simply went to sleep and that was that. Yeasterday he seemed a little slow, but it was pretty humid and yucky, plus I watched him free range, eat his normal food, and drink. Every body else is acting just fine. I have been giving them a lot of fruit and veggis lately, could that affect them? He was a young boy, so it wasn't age, but I guess it still could have been natural causes...?? Any thoughts?

 

[ivan3]

Sorry about your roo. Without a necroscopy it is nearly impossible to know. If you observe any slowing down/puny behaviors in any of the others, followed by sudden death, it would be a very good idea to have your State Vet's number handy and know where to take for exam.

Good luck!

 

[threehorses]

I would definitely examine all your birds tomorrow - for weight changes, parasites, anything different including breathing.

Ill birds tend to hide their illness as a survival mechanism (ironically - as we, the owners, would sure like to know earlier to help them survive).

If you're feeding more than 10% of their feed in anything other than a complete fortified ration, then yes - this could make a difference. However I don't see how it could make a healthy bird die over night. There must have been something else.

If they're young, make sure they're all getting age-appropriate feed. If you haven't wormed in over six months and they at all feel light, I'd consider that. (PM me if you need help.)

I agree with ivan that getting numbers of your state vets, local extensions, state ag college (and their clinic) handy ahead of time helps. Then if you lose more, take it in for a necropsy. Some places require an ill but live bird, others require a carcass and will need you to store it a certain way. So that's the type of information you need to find out.

Let us know here on this thread if you need help gathering that information.

I'm very sorry for your loss. /hugs