Why did my rooster just die?

[alaskan_crew]

I had a 12 week old BO roo that suddenly appeared sick yesterday. He hardly moved and wouldn't eat. He was normal and active just the day before. I quarantined him last night and he ended up dying in the night.

My husband does not want to pay for a necroscopy and says that sometimes chickens just die.

I'm concerned about a possible disease and infecting the rest of my flock. I was feeding the roo layer feed, which I found out last night that was probably not healthy, but could it have killed it?

Also, when I scatter treats, I throw it on the ground of their run. Now I'm thinking that's not a good idea because of their droppings getting mixed with their treats. Could this make a chicken sick?

I have my young pullets on layer feed and have also found out that they are too young for this, could that kill them?

Please help!!

Also, I didn't provide grit until last night. I thought they would be fine since their run has sand and small bits of gravel.

Obviously, I don't know what I am doing! Trying to learn, without killing my flock!

 

[alaskan_crew]

Sorry to be annoying, but does anyone have an opinion/advice they could share with me?

 

[augiedranch]

i wouldnt give pullets laying mash until u see the first egg, or at 18 weeks of age.


i prob wouldnt put treats on the ground in the coop.
are your chickens free range? are they kept caged? can we get some more info on their environment?


did u feed any certian treats the night before he got sick? kiwi? chocolate? spray for insect control.. etc?

 

[MissPrissy]

Sometimes chickens do seemingly 'just die'. Without a necropsy you will never know the cause.

Watch for signs or symptoms of change in your other chickens.

Chickens love to scratch around. I don't think their poop is your problem.

Too much calcium in the layer feed over time can cause kidney problems and kidney failure.

I never give layer feed until I see an egg.

 

[alaskan_crew]

Thanks for the reply augiedranch.

They have a coop with an attached run and I let them free range a couple hours a day, when I can babysit them and watch out for predators.

As for treats, nothing out of the ordinary. I've been giving them an occasional can of cat food for protein, that would be the only thing different.

All the other girls seem fine as of now.

I will go to the store today and buy....grower feed or chick starter..or what? Should I buy the stuff that says it's medicated?

Thanks again for reading!

 

[augiedranch]

i feed my chicks medicated chick starter. some people feed medicated chick starter until a certian age, then to grower,, but i dont plan on eating any of mine, so i just use chick starter until i see an egg, or until week 18.

i heard sometimes roos cant handle as much protien as hens can.. i feed mine whatever my hens are on.. but mine are free range all day, and eat grit, dirt, bugs, weeds,, so i dont have to worry much about regulating the roos feed intake...

what color was his comb and wattles? pale? or bright red.

my friend had a hen die one time out of nowhere.. it was in the coop locked up at night. the next morning. dead. broken neck!

im sure ur roo didnt have a broken neck, but maybe parasites?

sorry about ur roo. if u live close to me id give ya one

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Sometimes chickens do just die. I lost a leghorn pullet a couple of weeks ago, she was fine that morning - got home that evening after work and she was dead. No one else is sick, nor dead. Just a fluke. If I were in your shoes, I'd just watch the rest of my birds to make sure no one else showed signs of being sick or turned up dead. If they do, then DH will need to suck it up and let you get a necropsy done.

Layer feed would not have killed your rooster. Mine eat it all the time, never had one die or get sick.

Throwing treats on the ground of their run wouldn't have aided in the rooster dying either, unless they are just standing in their own poop 24/7. I've started lining my run & coop with leaves and grass clippings (deep litter method) to help, we recently built the coop and the run, so it's just now getting to that point.

Layer feed for your non-laying pullets - it's okay. Don't stress. Just switch them to non-medicated grower/finisher or all-way kernals or pellets. When they start to lay, you can switch back to the layer feed.

If they had access to sand and small bits of gravel, you're covered in the grit department. The additional grit you've added is cool too.

 

[alaskan_crew]

Thanks all.

I was starting to feel really badly, especially since my teen boys are teasing me saying I killed the roo.

The comb was bright red until yesterday then it appeared dull and pale.

This may sound weird, but should I freeze the body until I convince my dh to get a necroscopy?

He thinks I'm going overboard. Maybe I am!

Thanks augidranch for the offer. I'm fine w/out a roo. I'm just concerned about my existing flock, know what i mean?

 

[friendlyearth]

he might of accidently swollowed a rock, you never know. we had one that looked fine and was laying dead the next day.

 

[Katy]

Not very long ago one of my BLRW roos was fine in the morning and laying there dead in the afternoon. Not a mark on him....just one of those things that happens.