Dead hens due to electric fence?

[mountainmud]

About two weeks ago our landlord electrified a 200yard portion of the fence for his dairy cows. There is enough 'juice' to power 5 miles worth of fencing going through this 200yards. The connecting wire/cord runs right behind our chicken coop and snaps with each pulse. We can't physically see an electric 'jump' but hear it. The old wire is has also been repaired with duct tape of all things. My concern is that I have lost 4 otherwise healthy hens since it was installed. Three have died in the same box. I know that EMF (Electromagnetic Frequency) can be dangerous to life of all kinds on a large scale. Does anyone think that these mysterious deaths could be linked to this electric fence??

On another note, Coryza went through our flock about a month ago. Everyone seems to have recovered just fine. Maybe there is a link there? I'm just beside myself trying to figure out why I'm losing chickens like this.

 

[CMV]

EMF is not to blame. If the chickens were attached to the fence when you found them I would say they got electrocuted, but finding them inside the coop makes me think that electrocution was also not to blame. The only way I think the fence would be to blame is if the chickens got popped by the fence and it messed with their heart rhythms and they ended up with a dysrhythmia that killed them. I honestly think you are seeing the extended results of the coryza at work. Once a bird gets an illness like that they are never going to be as healthy as an uninfected chicken. They will always be prone to relapses and secondary illnesses in times of stress.

Are there any marks on the hens? I find it odd that they all die in the same location. Could something be getting them in that nesting box? Weasels and minks leave only very tiny puncture wounds that could easily be missed if you aren't looking for them.