Dead chickens... Any answers?

[dancechick915]

If you feel heat exhaustion is ruled out it could have been an insect bite/sting. Do you have killer bees there or poisonous spiders? It would be highly unlikely that a poisonous spider would have stung them both but is they both ate a poisonous insect like chickens do share food it would make sense. Some caterpillars are deadly when eaten. I know it doesnt help the loss but know that perhaps there was probably nothing you could have done anyways.

I feel like that might've been what happened. I still haven't brought myself to fully inspect the coop, but I'm thinking maybe some black widows hatched because I have seen some around their area within the last few months. My other idea is that my neighbors might've poisoned them (either on accident or on purpose). My husband keeps saying that he feels the chickens never reached the lab because if he actually had proof that they were poisoned he wouldn't mind returning the favor to our neighbors...
But because foul play is one our biggest suspicions, we won't be bringing any more chickens into our lives until we move in a year or two :/ I sure am gonna miss having those fluff butts around (and don't even get me started on having to buy eggs from the store again).