2 chickens have died in 1 week

[MariG]

I doubt some mouse droppings in the food would kill a chicken. I have mouse/rat droppings all around my coop and haven't had a problem. Now if the chicken were to eat a poisoned mouse that could definitely kill the chicken. Do you use mouse/rat poison at all?

No. We don't use poison. We used a combination of cornmeal and baking soda inside the house but it hasn't worked.
We have caught a few mice inside the house with the sticky little pads.
My husband has seen a lot of mice and a few rats in the pole barn which is very far away from the chickens.
Today we saw a black snake in the yard, but I don't think they can kill a chicken. They're not venomous.
I appreciate very much the help

 

[MariG]

No. We don't use poison. We used a combination of cornmeal and baking soda inside the house but it hasn't worked.
We have caught a few mice inside the house with the sticky little pads.
My husband has seen a lot of mice and a few rats in the pole barn which is very far away from the chickens.
Today we saw a black snake in the yard, but I don't think they can kill a chicken. They're not venomous.
I appreciate very much the help

I wonder if my neighbors have used poison to kill mice.

 

[MariG]

Symptoms are consistent with poisoning. Rodents and squirrels will pick up rodent bait and carry it to where they nest. If you've used rodent bait anywhere in the vicinity, chances are the rodents have left some in the food you stored under the coop.

We don't use any poison. We have used cornmeal with baking soda but inside the house. It hasn't worked anyways. I wonder if any of our neighbors have used poison for mice. We have pretty good amount of mice in our area

 

[DLA]

I wonder if my neighbors have used poison to kill mice.

That is a possibility. There is a product called MouseX that is supposed to not be harmful to livestock if they accidently eat it or a mouse that died from eating it. I wouldn't leave it where my chickens can get at it but it's safer than your standard mouse poison. I use it when mice get in my garage and it works and no problems with my chickens.

 

[MariG]

I'm so sorry that you lost them. Did you see any other symptoms such as unusual coloring in combs or wattles, any signs of congestion (wheezing, runny nose or sneezing), anything else unusual with either of them? When they are out in the yard do they have access to a compost pile? Moldy/rotten food scraps in compost piles can be harmful to chickens. You may want to make sure the food in the feeders is not moldy or damp and if it is clean the feeders, then replace the feed in them. Also store feeders where it's dry overnight. Can't be sure without a biopsy/tests but to me it sounds like they may have eaten something they shouldn't have considering the info you've given and the quickness from symptoms to death. I'm really sad for you that that happened.

No congestion. I was trying to listen to her and also the other one that died last week to see if I heard some evidence of congestion but no. No sneezing either.
The area where they free range is fenced. They don't have access to the garden.
Yeah. It looks like some form of poisoning.
I just wonder how the other chickens are fine. If another one dies I guess I'll have to take it to the state vet to do an evaluation and have a better idea. Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. You are correct that getting a necropsy by your state vet is the best way to get a diagnosis. One thing I would not do is to soak any chicken that looks off or lethargic. It can push a weak chicken over the edge. If egg binding is suspected, give them some calcium citrate with vitamin D, and you can bring them in to a warm humid room. Look at your feed and smell it for any off odor or color. Mold is a common occurrence if a few drops of rain or condensation get into a feed bin. Ask neighbors if they are using rat poison. Do any neighbors have chickens or have a problem with yours? It can be common for a death now and then from an unknown problem, but it shouldn’t happen often.

 

[MariG]

That is a possibility. There is a product called MouseX that is supposed to not be harmful to livestock if they accidently eat it or a mouse that died from eating it. I wouldn't leave it where my chickens can get at it but it's safer than your standard mouse poison. I use it when mice get in my garage and it works and no problems with my chickens.

Thank you for the advice. I'm going to tell my husband about MouseX. We've been careful not to use any poison.

 

[MariG]

Sorry for your loss. You are correct that getting a necropsy by your state vet is the best way to get a diagnosis. One thing I would not do is to soak any chicken that looks off or lethargic. It can push a weak chicken over the edge. If egg binding is suspected, give them some calcium citrate with vitamin D, and you can bring them in to a warm humid room. Look at your feed and smell it for any off odor or color. Mold is a common occurrence if a few drops of rain or condensation get into a feed bin. Ask neighbors if they are using rat poison. Do any neighbors have chickens or have a problem with yours? It can be common for a death now and then from an unknown problem, but it shouldn’t happen often.

Thanks. I'll definitely search for calcium citrate with vitamin D.
We have another neighbor who has chickens and ducks.
We have a rooster though, and they don't. It's possible that someone might be annoyed by the rooster.
However, we live in a rural area, and everybody has at least 2 acres. I'm not sure how loud our rooster could be.
I'm going to be more careful with the feed storage.

 

[MariG]

Sorry for your loss. You are correct that getting a necropsy by your state vet is the best way to get a diagnosis. One thing I would not do is to soak any chicken that looks off or lethargic. It can push a weak chicken over the edge. If egg binding is suspected, give them some calcium citrate with vitamin D, and you can bring them in to a warm humid room. Look at your feed and smell it for any off odor or color. Mold is a common occurrence if a few drops of rain or condensation get into a feed bin. Ask neighbors if they are using rat poison. Do any neighbors have chickens or have a problem with yours? It can be common for a death now and then from an unknown problem, but it shouldn’t happen often.

I have also spotted some wild mushrooms growing in the free range area. I have pulled the ones that I have discovered, but I wonder if they have eaten any of those. I can't tell when a mushroom is poisonous or not, so I pull them all.
Thank you. I appreciate very much your advice.

 

[azygous]

It's a little late in the season for insects, but there are some that are extremely poisonous. A few years ago, several of my baby chicks nibbled on a Buckmoth caterpillar and went into convulsions and became paralyzed very quickly. I had never seen them before. Now, each summer, I run into several lying around just outside the run.

You may have something similar at your location. It does help to mention it as location can offer significant clues.

Have you heard of bucket roller traps? I use them in lieu of rodent poison, and they. are extremely effective, yet very safe around chickens.