[CarolW]

I put the chooks back in their run earlier and went looking for two missing - unusually one was Wacko our newist cockerel (we've had him about 3 months and he had settled in well, even Ken our buff orp cockerel got on ok with him - after the first day together they never fought). 
I found him dead not far from their run, there wasnt a mark on him, no blood -nothing.  We didn't hear any commotion.  I'm really puzzled as when our neighbour gave him to us he was only 5months old - so it cant have been old age !!
Poor thing, he was really handsome.
Could it have been a heart attack ?

[plumseverywhere]

My daughters xmas present, a cochin cockerel died of a heart attack at 7 months old. it was the height of spring and he'd been very 'busy' with the ladeeez. 8 yr old daughter was devastated, he was beautiful and a big cuddly gent of a cockerel. ALways seems to be the lovely ones that die too young.
sorry to hear about Wacko, very sad.

[little blue]

poor chap.
what breed?  could be his genetics...