dead hen morning

[tuffy]

Yesterday am I found one of my 16 hens dead on the floor of the coop. All my hens appear normal and healthy. I thought maybe it was just old age~ This morning I found 2 more dead on the floor. I have not done anything different than I've done for the past 6 yrs. It was very hot the past 2 days but its been hot other summers also. Plenty of clean, cool water etc. always avail. Only difference is that the coop is in a horse pasture and for the first time the horses are not here for the summer, therefore the pasture is really growing. The horses always kept it eaten down in the past. Could the hens have eaten a "bad" weed? Are the eggs I collected this morning safe to eat? Any suggestions??

 

[horsejody]

Check your hens very closely for mites, etc.

 

[Country4ever]

Sorry for your loss.
Did you check them over well......any abdominal swelling, crop problem?
I had several over time probably die from falling off the roost and flying hard into things and probably breaking their necks. Have you changed the roost recently?
I read in another post that pigweed is poisonous. I would keep them confined until you figure out what caused this, before you lose all of them.
You could send one for a necropsy.
How old were they and what breed?
Again, sorry.

 

[tuffy]

One of the hens was an Auracana, one a buff orp and the other ? They were each about 3 yrs old. No, I didn't change anything in the coop. Tonight I'll check all the others and probably keep them on "lock down" until I can hopefully come up with something. I couldn't possibly identify all the weeds and plants in the pasture where they free range. Thanks for taking the time to help~

 

[PunkinPeep]

Just one other thought is to double check the feed for mold. I know it probably isn't as humid where you are as it is in Texas, but here, with the heat and the humidity, you could get mold in the feed without even getting water in it.

Just a thought.

I hope you're able to figure out the mystery very quickly.

Beth