Chickens going crazy and killing themselves

[Kris5902]

This is where a necropsy/tox screen by a professional agency would be truly enlightening... feed? Pesticides? When I was looking into bulk feeds for our cattle, I was looking at mill run pellets, ($80 CAD/ton!) but the company said they wouldn’t sell to me if I had any pigs... due to “potential” ergot, and something else I can’t quite recall contamination. Wouldn’t affect the cattle or sheep, but can with porcines. I couldn’t make their minimum order of 28 tons though so it dead ended.

Maybe something like that?

 

[Tesumph]

Chickens tend to not get rabies,

Chickens aren’t mammals, they can’t get rabies.

Can you get a photo of your chicken feed and it’s expiration date?

 

[Fishkeeper]

It's technically possible for birds to get rabies, it's just very rare because they generally don't survive an attack by a rabid animal. Probably not the case here, though.
I suspect poisoning of some sort, but I do have one thought. Is there any way there's a hornet or wasp nest in there and they're being attacked by the wasps?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Sounds likely. Now I wonder how I could protect them from something like this. Can't ask the neighbor not to spray his field.

It's winter. Who sprays their fields now? Are you in the southern hemisphere?

 

[Tesumph]

It's technically possible for birds to get rabies, it's just very rare because they generally don't survive an attack by a rabid animal. Probably not the case here, though.
I suspect poisoning of some sort, but I do have one thought. Is there any way there's a hornet or wasp nest in there and they're being attacked by the wasps?

You’re right, my bad. It’s almost unheard of outside of experimental conditions.

 

[chickens really]

Depends on your location but certain parasites can effect a Birds brain by traveling up into the brain causing what you witnessed. Wild birds can carry diseases to chickens.

 

[aart]

Over what timeline did all the birds die...a couple days, a couple weeks?
How many total?
Where did the birds come from?
How old were they?
How long had you had them?
Did the deaths begin after the new feed was introduced...if so, how long after?
Sorry for all the Q's...I don't think they've been asked/answered in my reading of the whole thread, but I apologize for any redundancy.

Oh and Welcome to BYC...it appears you are new to the forum and joined just to ask this question.

 

[centrarchid]

I do not think a definitive answer is likely. Feed analysis is going to cost a lot. Carcasses are no longer. Better to reboot hope no repeat. If repeat, then do sampling as needed getting vet involved quickly. If disease, then animal health folks need to be in the know.

 

[Nardo]

It is. I have never in my life, ever heard of anything like this and could hardly believe what I was seeing when it happened.

That's why there are so many questions being hurled at your post. Everyone wants to understand what happened and file this away so that others can be helped or so we know what to look for in the future. I'm sorry for the work and effort and emotional toil this is having on you and, actually, sorry for your chickens. But hang in there and help us learn.

 

[ShannonR]

It's technically possible for birds to get rabies, it's just very rare because they generally don't survive an attack by a rabid animal. Probably not the case here, though.
I suspect poisoning of some sort, but I do have one thought. Is there any way there's a hornet or wasp nest in there and they're being attacked by the wasps?

Yeah, That's why I worded that post the way I did as far as chicken rabies goes. Possible, but highly improbable...