I'm so sorry! Sudden death of much of the flock in today's setting throws up red flags for high path avian influenza (HPAI) for me. It's a huge problem that the poultry industry has been struggling with for this past year. I hope this isn't the case, but I would highly recommend you contact a veterinarian to come test for HPAI. When waiting for the results, do not come into contact with any other people's chickens, or any other domesticated birds in general.
I also think it is important to understand the deal with HPAI. If they test positive, the state veterinarian will be informed as it is a reportable disease, and any surviving birds will have to be euthanized and disposed of according to the state veterinarian's instructions. I know this sounds harsh, and some people specifically do not report suspect flocks for this reason, but it really is extremely important to notify a vet if HPAI is suspected. This disease has a huge mortality rate in chickens and is highly contagious. The current outbreak started last spring and unfortunately, unlike past outbreaks, has lasted through the summer and is gaining more steam this winter. The quicker infected birds can be euthanized and properly disposed of, the better. The longer they stay around, the more likely another wild bird is to pick it up and infect another domestic flock. If you've seen egg prices in the stores right now, you know they are ridiculous. Part of this is certainly due to inflation, but HPAI is also having a huge impact on the amount of commercial laying hens producing right now, as several commercial flocks have been wiped out from contracting the disease. All this is to say that while it will be hard, please, please have your birds tested.
