Chickens dying left and right!

[miaterry]

Hi everyone!
I have been raising chickens for 15 years and I’ve never had a situation like I’ve had in the past 72 hours!

I have a flock of seven hens and one rooster. I have an automatic chicken door that locks them in after sundown. I went out the other morning to find two of my chickens dead (but not eaten just dead) in the yard, two missing( one of which somehow got to the front yard) and the other four were very frantic and disheveled in the coop.

The days following this event my chickens have been acting really weird and keep suddenly dying. I found another one dead this morning on the nesting box and now my sweet rooster is just laying on the floor not walking.

I have had this batch of chickens since 2020 and love them dearly so it’s just so heartbreaking to see them die for no reason.

Does anybody have any ideas of what might be happening?

 

[deidreg]

Sorry for your situation. Do you know if avian flu is in your area?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Hi everyone!
I have been raising chickens for 15 years and I’ve never had a situation like I’ve had in the past 72 hours!

I have a flock of seven hens and one rooster. I have an automatic chicken door that locks them in after sundown. I went out the other morning to find two of my chickens dead (but not eaten just dead) in the yard, two missing( one of which somehow got to the front yard) and the other four were very frantic and disheveled in the coop.

The days following this event my chickens have been acting really weird and keep suddenly dying. I found another one dead this morning on the nesting box and now my sweet rooster is just laying on the floor not walking.

I have had this batch of chickens since 2020 and love them dearly so it’s just so heartbreaking to see them die for no reason.

Does anybody have any ideas of what might be happening?

Welcome to the forums, @miaterry, though I'm so sorry it had to be under these circumstances! To figure this out, we will need more specific information.
Where (in the world) are you? (Environment matters)
Please check one or more of the dead birds, if you can, more closely - wounds from wasps, spiders, snakes, scorpions, etc. can be tiny. (I lost a chick recently to a wasp sting inside her mouth.)
Has anything toxic you can think of gotten into their feed or water, or have they had access to: Mold? Chemicals? Pesticides or herbicides? Antifreeze?
You can send a body to your state's lab for a necropsy. Costs a bit, but they can tell you precisely what happened.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Sorry for your situation. Do you know if avian flu is in your area?

X2

 

[KreetchaKeepa]

I'm so sorry. I can imagine how heartbroken you are.

 

[ChickenLaydeeMontana]

Update? My heart hurts for you and your lost flock members. Praying for a positive response.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like something got after them before their coop door closed, and possibly killed or injured the ones you have lost. How cold was it, and was it raining? Was the door shutting at dark? Were there any marks or missing feathers? Very sorry for your loss.

 

[raingarden]

I believe that if it's bird flu they will show signs of a respiratory infection.