Chickens are dying one by one. Please Help!

[SleepyChickens]

My chickens are dying one by one. I don’t know what caused it.

This is what i found so far:
- no sign of injury or wound.
- no sign of mites.
- no sign of liquid/foam from eyes, nose or mouth.
- no coughing/sneezing.
- normal behavior, normal poop, normal appetite, normal laying behavior.
- normal weight.

I found them dead usually in the morning. So far the dead ones were 3 dominant roosters, 2 broody hens, 2 mother hens, 2 pullets, and 2 chicks. Some had full crop when they died, some empty crop. But all of them have deep purple comb.

I usually free range them during the day with no problem, no deaths. They’re all seem active. (Below is the free range area)

As for the coop, it has open ventilation, deep litter system (using dead leaves), plenty of light, and plenty of space (215 sqft per chicken). We usually don't clean the coop, we just add more dead leaves when it starts to get smelly. The chickens helped with composting process and the leaves also attract variety of bugs. (Below the picture of the coop)

The locals also told me some of their neighbor's chickens and ducks recently died one by one and they assumed it's the avian flu. But I don't think that's the case since they didn't show any flu symptoms.

I think maybe predator problem, but i didnt see any wound or injury on them. We don’t have large predator over here (Indonesia), but i spotted mongoose and snakes few times around here.

Any idea? Does snake usually strike at night and leave the chicken purple like this?

 

[Perris]

hello @kekofarmbanten ; welcome to BYC

Generally a purple comb indicates a blood circulation problem, but what has triggered that in your birds' case is what we need to find.

I will alert some of BYC's experts and hopefully they may have some ideas, @azygous @coach723 @dawg53 @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[SleepyChickens]

hello @kekofarmbanten ; welcome to BYC

Generally a purple comb indicates a blood circulation problem, but what has triggered that in your birds' case is what we need to find.

I will alert some of BYC's experts and hopefully they may have some ideas, @azygous @coach723 @dawg53 @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

Thank you

 

[dawg53]

I've dealt with non poisonous snakes killing pullets and cockerals. The snakes would come at night and constrict a pullet or cockeral, but the birds were too big for the snake to swallow the bird.
The next morning I would find one or two dead birds outside one of the coops. Their heads and neck feathers were wet where the snake regurgitated the birds. It couldnt swallow the birds because they were too big to swallow.
I went out early one morning and found the snake. It was a yellow rat snake. I've lost chicks to these snakes as well. Fortunately, I havnt dealt with poisonous snakes.
Here's a pic:

 

[Banana01]

In addition to free range, what do you feed them?

 

[Perris]

What part of the world do you live?

Indonesia (in OP's post)

 

[abpatchy]

Since the bird flu is a big problem at the moment. Have you have them checked for bird flu? It's just a warning sign when so many birds keep dying.

 

[Banana01]

If you think a snake is killing them, where do they roost at night? Are they up off the ground on roosting bars?

I would think snakes would go after eggs on the ground first, but i have never had a snake attack and there are snakes where i live in peru (and cats, rats, etc)

 

[dawg53]

Indonesia (in OP's post)

Thanks. I missed it...still on my first cup of coffee.

 

[Perris]

Thanks. I missed it...still on my first cup of coffee.

no worries - I don't function well first thing either!