Lost my Big Buff Orp Rooster :(

I am rather upset, although there is nothing I could have done.

I have been in and out all day today, I was out checking on the birds less then an hour ago and everything was fine.
I stepped out for a cig, and noticed that more or less everyone was inside so I started coop close up.

I came around corner and found my Big Buff Orp Rooster from Kathy S, laying on the ground. His face was blueish purple.
No blood, no pulled feathers, no sign of stress or struggle.
Blue face, lack of oxygen comes to mind. I start to examine and find this in his wind pipe

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A Very large rock, must have found it under the spruce tree, as that is where I last saw him.
So sad to think that he suffocated on a rock.

He was a gentle giant, and so good with the ladies.

Oh Jonny - that's so sad! I hope you have some chicks from him - perhaps to replace him?

Awh, sorry to hear this, Jonny

Yeah I am a little upset over this, mainly cause he was healthy otherwise. I try to provide a healthy safe environment.
I never would have expected to find a rooster to be taken down by something as harmless as a rock.

I know that he has breed my Orp hens, so it's a matter of collecting eggs from them and fire them in the bator.

I have decided not to sell his brother after all, I spoke with the gent that was coming to pick him up and he understood.
So I do have his brother to work with still. I was using him for my breeding plan as he was a wonderful example, took on a lot of his father's genetics.

Still sad over this. Just earlier he was chirping up a storm for his hens to show them the small piece of corn he had found left over from the scratch I had tossed out earlier today.

This is one of those upsetting, frustrating losses because it's so...unexpected. I am sorry this happened. As the others have said, I hope you have some of those good genetics somewhere on your farm.

All I can say is that just SUCKS!

to hear abut your loss. That just sucks.

Thats terrible, on the good side at least you have some consolation about his death. Hopefully you have some babies there in waiting.

Oh no, how sad. I'm sorry and know how you must be feeling. What a strange way to lose a chicken, I've never heard of one choking before but its good you were able to find out what happened. Also good you have a back-up rooster.

Sorry you lost him but I am sure you will have offspring of his since he was such a ladies man.
Geri

Sorry to hear you lost your rooster. I've never heard of a bird choking. Glad you figured it out. I would have assumed "heart attack", as I've lost a young rooster that way. Very unexpected. And as everyone says, I hope you have some of his genetics to carry on.

Just Strikes me as odd. I have him in the Garage and plan on checking him out further in the morning. No visible signs of anything. And seeing how he was mating and crowing and fighting earlier. I know this rock was the culprit.

Now this got me thinking, are they getting the right amount of grit? They get poultry grit, can't recall what kind as the bag is gone, but it's a granite mix. There is also grit mixed in with their feed. For him to swallow such a big rock seams odd, now was it in his lodged in his wind pipe or trachea?
When I was examining him, as I found him deceased, I noticed the hard lump in his neck, and squeezed it out his mouth, thus popping out the rock.

The fact that his face was blueish purple gives me the indication that he might have suffocated, I once had a young rooster that got hung upside down in some mesh netting that was forgotten left hanging from a hook, I found him and saved him, but he was a deep purple blue in colour.
Just boggles the mind.

At least I think I know the cause.

Thank goodness you have his babes and his brother!

It's all in the eggs now.

What a shame.

Oh crap, that is horrible news. You are indeed very fortunate to have his brother. I would like to know how the brother compares to the big buff dude? Speak to that please. I bet his brother shares a good many of his nice genes that you like, lots of similarities in the offspring. Gads, this makes me feel awful. I know how you are feeling. I would be feeling the same if Jimmy Buffet (that is my dude's name, smiling, Husband wanted to called him that) (and I love the singer too) passed. I think he is pretty nice in every way, and makes some awesome offspring. So....a rock. What a stupid thing for a chicken to get all choked up on and pass, bloody stupid if you ask me. I have seen the chickens around here eat some pretty large pebbles and wondered how on earth they could have got that down their gullet, but they did. Now I am freaked out. But hey, what can ya do, nothing. They are outside and they will eat what they want to eat. Mine have lots of commercial grit hanging around in places, probably all scattered over the glory half acre now. But I know for a fact that they will go and eat rocks that were not purchased. Grit is kind of a waster of money, but so needed when they can't find the rocks because of snow. Boy oh boy. Just ichy news this morning. Wonder if KathyS has another backup rooster? If not, I have some too and will have lots more I am growing out for the table, Jonny. They are distantly related to Kathy's by years apart, but mine share some of the same genetics too as some of hers, so imagine, just keep me in your mind as well, I could help you out down that road too one day, if you so chose. Just sayin'.....I would be interested to hear what he looks like on the inside, the rock is most likely the culprit, but then, a vague possibility of something else too, very vague, but ya never know. With that, still have a nice day, CynthiaM (never knew you smoked, bad boy, speakin' from the lips of a smoker herself )can't kick that habit no matter what I have done

Thanks Cynthia for your wonderful response.

The brother, who we named "Buddy" doesn't have the size, or the type that his brother had. He is a gorgeous boy none the less but is lacking in many of the qualities that made Big Boy our top breeding choice. Not saying that he is not worth using, but the differences were noticeable between the two.

One thing I did noticed today is that Buddy, is walking with a skip in his step, he has taken on the roll of Top Rooster in that pen, and all the hens are following him around.

I decided not to do an autopsy, rather let his body rest in peace.


Thank you for offering your lines to me, I might have to take you up on that later this summer, I couldn't get over them when I visited your place last year, this time hopefully I can be there on time to meet you, but your chickens spoke well about you! Such a gorgeous property you have!


I wish I was in a better place finically, I really want to upgrade all my coops and facilities.

What a flippin' drag Johnny. I'm so sorry to hear this.

I am so sorry to hear about your favorite rooster. They can pick up the weirdest things. The other day my husband was working on the new coop and covered his table saw up with a tarp that had blue strings hanging on it, well chickens being the curious things that they are started pulling them out. I had to chase two hens around to take them out of their mouths. I replaced the tarp with a smaller newer one with no end tags. They could have choked I think or maybe they would have just passed through. Who knows. I will walk around the new yard tomorrow and check to see if there are any objects that may cause problems. Sorry again about your guy, hope you can find a replacement.
Nancy

Jonny, thank you for those kind words about my birds and our farm. I really was so sorry that I had missed you when you dropped off the black, but Daughter enjoyed the visit, smiling. I will have many buff orpington cockerels that I will be growing out this summer (destined for the dinner table, smiling), that is their destiny. The ones that are overly very nice will be sold, if I can find a seller, if not, a huge bird to eat, yum yum. But between you, me and the fencepost, we could make a wheel of a deal . No monetary exchange is what I speak of. So, ya, think about things, mourn the loss of the big dude, it is still a cryin' shame when this happens to our best of the best, sigh. Have a great day wishes, CynthiaM.