Hey, guys, it's been quite a while since I last posted but I figured nobody else would get how I am feeling right now. Came home to find almost my entire flock dead without a mark on them. My first thought was the heat, but it wasn't any hotter than it has been and there were several heavy-feathered birds sitting on nests in the hottest areas of the coop that were untouched. Also, the pop-door of the coop was wide open to their run so they could have just walked right outside if it was too hot inside.
Then I thought maybe it was some sort of gas, like maybe ammonia build-up. But there was no ammonia smell and the birds hanging out up in the rafters where gas would rise to were also fine.
Then I remembered that my hubby had just re-filled their feeders with feed I had recently bought. Now I am thinking that batch of feed may have been contaminated with something or maybe they put some other kind of feed in the wrong bag.
I immediately pulled the feeders out and have saved the feed. Also put a couple of the hens in the freezer in case I need to have them tested. I am going to call the feedstore in the morning to see if anybody else has reported anything strange.
Just so devastated right now. It is bad enough to lose one or two at a time to a predator or illness, but to come home and see so many (at least 20) lying scattered all over the coop....some of these birds I have had for at least 3 or 4 yrs and many were cherished pets with names. Our sweet little silkie hens, Mumu & Mimi....most of our light Brahma hens, most of the Orloff hens (still not sure which ones died and which survived), our giant black Orpington rooster, Pansy, who I bought as an egg from this list. Little Mumu the silkie hen had hatched him and his siblings out a couple years back and he grew to be this gentle giant who guarded the flock but never showed the slightest aggression towards people. Our black & white muscovie hen that had blue eyes and was such a dedicated momma...the EE hens Honey & Snickers...so many names and faces just gone.
Their roost, which is normally packed every night had just a few survivors huddled together looking shell-shocked and scared. The saddest thing was seeing the little white frizzled cochin hen all by herself. She had been raised from a chick with a dark brahma and Mimi the white silkie and they were inseparable. They went everywhere together and slept cuddled together each night. Both of her friends were among the dead so she is all alone now.
Hubby was even more upset than me...he kept naming off his favorites and asking if they were okay and so many weren't. I held him while he cried and then we went to work picking them all up and putting them in trash bags. Too many to bury and the coyotes would just dig them up anyway. Just such an awful, awful day. Wish I could go back and have it never have happened.
Then I thought maybe it was some sort of gas, like maybe ammonia build-up. But there was no ammonia smell and the birds hanging out up in the rafters where gas would rise to were also fine.
Then I remembered that my hubby had just re-filled their feeders with feed I had recently bought. Now I am thinking that batch of feed may have been contaminated with something or maybe they put some other kind of feed in the wrong bag.
I immediately pulled the feeders out and have saved the feed. Also put a couple of the hens in the freezer in case I need to have them tested. I am going to call the feedstore in the morning to see if anybody else has reported anything strange.
Just so devastated right now. It is bad enough to lose one or two at a time to a predator or illness, but to come home and see so many (at least 20) lying scattered all over the coop....some of these birds I have had for at least 3 or 4 yrs and many were cherished pets with names. Our sweet little silkie hens, Mumu & Mimi....most of our light Brahma hens, most of the Orloff hens (still not sure which ones died and which survived), our giant black Orpington rooster, Pansy, who I bought as an egg from this list. Little Mumu the silkie hen had hatched him and his siblings out a couple years back and he grew to be this gentle giant who guarded the flock but never showed the slightest aggression towards people. Our black & white muscovie hen that had blue eyes and was such a dedicated momma...the EE hens Honey & Snickers...so many names and faces just gone.
Their roost, which is normally packed every night had just a few survivors huddled together looking shell-shocked and scared. The saddest thing was seeing the little white frizzled cochin hen all by herself. She had been raised from a chick with a dark brahma and Mimi the white silkie and they were inseparable. They went everywhere together and slept cuddled together each night. Both of her friends were among the dead so she is all alone now.
Hubby was even more upset than me...he kept naming off his favorites and asking if they were okay and so many weren't. I held him while he cried and then we went to work picking them all up and putting them in trash bags. Too many to bury and the coyotes would just dig them up anyway. Just such an awful, awful day. Wish I could go back and have it never have happened.
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