lost 5 hens today, no visible reason

[ndngirl]

Our girls were all fine this morning. They had plenty of water and food, and shade as well. When we came home, all 5 were up in the loft (a-frame coop with hay filled laying/sleeping area at the top) dead. There is no sign of trauma, no abnormal stools, no nasal discharge or anything out of the ordinary. We lost a tiny banty about 2 weeks ago the same way, but the others seemed fine.

The only thing different this morning was that we moved the coop to another area of the yard, which is kind of weedy. We're in central Texas, and it's been hot and dry, but they had plenty of water and have made it through the heat 2 years running.

I don't even want to consider bringing any more chicks home until we know what went wrong. It was so very sudden. Any help solving this sad mystery would be much appreciated.

We do have red root (pigweed) in another area of the yard, which I just read is toxic, but there doesn't seem to be any in the area they were in today.

 

[NashChic]

I'm not familiar with pigweed, but is it possible you don't see any because they ate whatever was there?

Do you have any malicious neighbors that might want them dead?

I'm so sorry for your loss. That's gotta be traumatic to loose them all so suddenly like that, especially with no obvious explanation.

 

[threehorses]

The only way to know for sure is by having one tested. Do you still have one that you can refrigerate and take to the vet in the morning?

Losing all birds in one day, I'd darn sure have them tested.

I'm so sorry for your loss.
Otherwise, I'd suspect heat. They're older birds now and they were up in the sleeping area, which might be hotter than the rest of the areas. How devestating.

 

[ndngirl]

They could have eaten everything during the day, I didn't think of that. I will try to identify what is in the surrounding area and what is in the area of the coop. Our neighbors loved them (free eggs-that wins everybody over) so I don't think anybody'd hurt them.

I was so distraught that I didn't even Think of testing (wish I had!). We found them after work, so they had been in the heat all day. We gave them a 'funeral' service and buried them in the yard.

There was one thing I forgot to mention, the edges of all their combs were purple-ish. Not the whole combs, but just the uppermost areas. I read on another thread that this could be a sign of poison.

We found a list of toxic weeds at poultryhelp.com, here's link:

http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxic1.html

I had no idea that all these things could hurt our girls. Our yard has suffered in the drought, so the weeds have really taken off. Now I need to identify all of the different things growing out there and irradicate them asap.

 

[ruth]

I'd bet the heat got to them. For all 5 to be found in the loft dead, it was probably the heat. I lost one hen who was in a pen, under a bush, in the shade with food and water. Was fine one minute, a few minutes later, was dead. The heat and drought has been tough on the birds. If their coop is in the sun, or even if it is shaded, the loft probably gets too hot for them to be in during the day. My birds have survived the heat by staying inside their hen house, on the floor, in front of the fan. They never get up on the high roost rafters during the day (hot air rises). But they dig holes in the cool dirt and literally lay around till early evening when it gets cooler.