Can thunder induce heart attack?

[phoenix]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. This morning we had what many around here consider the most intense thunderstorm we've been in. When I made it out to the coop around noon, two of my bantams (a 4-month-old rooster and a 2-year-old hen) were dead. I could find no marks or signs of struggle or illness. The young rooster had been introduced to the flock about 3 weeks ago and was roosting in a parrot cage in the coop with his sister. He was dead in the cage. The hen was dead on the ground below where she normally roosts for the night. The other 26 standard and bantam chickens in the flock all seem fine. Could the thunder have literally frightened them to death (heart attack?)? Or other suggestions? Thanks for any insight!

 

[justusnak]

Wow, I dont know...but I guess it could have. Mine get a little flighty when it thunders loud and long.

 

[lacyloo]

maby they got struck by lightning. ?

 

[ozark hen]

Oh so sorry! I agree with Lacy since you said two were in a cage and one beside it. Although, when we had a very bad thunder storm here and I went to check on the chicks they were all piled into a corner on top of each other and the bottom one was almost a gonner from suffocation.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

One other idea... maybe the thunder scared them, and they went into a panic and injured themselves?

One night the light in the coop blew out over my 5wkers. I didn't realize it since it was in the middle of the night. I went in for my 2am visit and they were all in total darkness, and from the feel of the bulb it had been that way for awhile (plenty warm enough though). I got that switched out, and noticed one chick was kinda droopy, acting sleepy and not running around with everyone else. I was pretty worried, but she was fine the next day. The only thing I could think of was that maybe in the panic she had injured herself.

So sorry for your loss. It especially stinks because there isn't much you can do if it was the storm.. Thunder will happen again.

-Meghan