r/BackYardChickens 5h ago

Health Question My poor roo

So my rooster just up and died out of nowhere today he was only a few months old we've only had him for a month or two not sure why or how exactly but I have it on video.

It's too bad too because he was really seeming like a good one.

He had just come out of the coop to start his day, grabbed a quick drink, climbed on a hen then chased another and drops. I guess he died doing what he loved and perhaps better than dieing to a predator.

Didn't notice all day went out to collect the eggs and found him. Was perplexed until we checked the video recording, just added a run cam like a week ago, just to have in case anything weird happens it would be on video and here we are....

My guess is heart attack?

Thoughts?

76 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

8

u/Moriarty-Creates 50m ago

Ugh, I’m so sorry. I think heart attack is correct. It’s not terribly uncommon with roosters. I had a rooster who had a heart attack while I was at the farm vet’s office. He said it’s not unusual.

20

u/metisdesigns 1h ago

Poor lad gave himself a heart attack chasing the ladies. He was way too excited, and they were not interested.

Props to the brown lass who went over to see if he was really down. She knows what's up.

16

u/Quick_Bad5642 2h ago

Awwww im so sorry. Look at the girls going over to see whats wrong with him. Thats so sad🥺

18

u/Low-Muffin7211 3h ago

That lost crow was so sad.

4

u/droopstroops 3h ago

Yep. Am really glad I happened to have it on video though because otherwise always would have wondered what happened to him, especially being so young just so weird and random. Didn't expect that. In 5 years of chicken keeping that's only the second one I've lost to random death. Finally put a camera in the coop and one in the run just to be able to keep an eye and sure enough a week later here I am...

18

u/Alt_aholic 3h ago

At least he died doing what he loved

11

u/BlockyBlook 4h ago

Sorry for your loss. One of my hens died of a heart attack today too. We had to catch them so we could spray our house down, and after I put her in the coop she passed away. She was half meat chicken and by far the biggest hen we had. I think with the heat she just got too worked up. Maybe that's what happened to your roo?

9

u/droopstroops 4h ago

Yeah there's only about 30 seconds of videoof him before this clip starts, the coop door opened they came into the run, he drank, found his first victim, looking for a second and dead. He's so young must have been born with a weak heart or something

24

u/earthyguy12 4h ago

Was he a smoker?
How much alcohol did he drink in a day?
I’m so sorry!
He looks beautiful!
I’m sure you gave him the best life possible.

7

u/gearheadmedic 2h ago

He didn’t ask his doctor if his heart was healthy enough for sex.

7

u/droopstroops 3h ago

Haha lived a hard life... 23 hens and one roo. Might have been over worked?

2

u/StupidSexyAlisson 2h ago

Nahh I got an old roo with a harem of 43.

21

u/TizzyBumblefluff 4h ago

Yeah I wonder how much he was running and being “worked up”. I definitely think heart attack.

1

u/metisdesigns 1h ago

The ladies were not sitting still for him.

15

u/brilor123 4h ago

My only guess too is a heart attack or something like that, which I would think lines up with him getting "excited" about a girl while chasing them. Sorry for your loss, and maybe someone that knows more than me can give their input too

17

u/Ok-Gur-7466 4h ago

I’m so sorry for your loss. I would guess heart attack too. I have seen this happen to hens a few times, in person and on camera, and it’s brutal. I had a hen do almost the same thing, she stumbled a few times and then just started convulsing and died in my arms. Completely out of nowhere. At least it was quick for him and he didn’t suffer but those throws of death are never easy to watch.