[Pretty Chick]

Hello all,

We have a large orpington buff cockerel with our 5 black rocks, 3 orpingtons and 9 bantams (all hens).
Recently 3 of our bantams died without warning. One minuite they were very happy healthy hens and the next, dead as a dodo.
We separate him from the others during the day and he is now in his own cage (VERY spacious I might add! ) but we put him into the hen house with the girls at night.

Do you think that he is just too heavy for them and is accidentally squishing them?

PS we are strict vegetarians and would never kill any animal, so we won't get rid of him even if he is being a pain!

[Pretty Chick]

I think I have posted this in the wrong place...

[mumofstig]

I'll move it then 

[Pretty Chick]

Thanks   
Now its in the right place, can anyone help me??

[8doubles]

Why have you separated them , have you seen the cockerel attack the hens or found evidence of damage from overtreading, eg a skinned back or neck.
If the 3 banties all died at the same  time i would put a stoat or cat down as prime suspect if the pen is not predator proof.

[joyfull]

was there any markings on the bantams? a stoat, weasel or mink would all leave puncture marks in the neck (all look very similar and measuring the punture holes would be the only way to tell which it could have been).
How old was the bantams? What breed of bantams?
I have bantams running with large fowl cockerels and apart from Mrs Sablepoot (who really is tiny weighing in at just 450g) they cope very well with the big boys.

[Pretty Chick]

We see the cockerel attacking the hens every time he can get to them.
The bantams didn't die at the same time, a few months apart i'd say.
They were pekin bantams and 2 were around 2 years old and the other nearly 3.
There are no cats around and the cages are all fully predator proof, with chicken wire a few feet under the ground and roofs on the cages.
The hens had no wounds and I think I can safely say that no animal is the culprit, but thanks for your idea.
Any more advice would be appreciated 

[joyfull]

Pekins along with silkies have a hole in the top of their heads so he could have accidently damaged them whist mating 

[Pretty Chick]

Thank you for the infomation joyfull 

[Pretty Chick]

Oh and by the way, how long after the cockerel mates with the hen are the eggs still fertile?

[GrannieAnnie]

They reckon for 2 weeks!

[Pretty Chick]

Okay, thanks.

[dizzylizzie]

Pekins along with silkies have a hole in the top of their heads so he could have accidently damaged them whist mating 

Polands have part of the scull missing also

[Aunt Sally]

I'm not sure Pekins have Joyfull (I think you meant Polish).

[Pretty Chick]

Oh, so does anyone think it is his weight that weakened them?