Lost entire flock in 2 days

[doberbonnie]

This happened last February so I am pretty much over it. Have a new flock started and they are just starting to lay. I have been confused on what happened to my chickens. The are kept in a 6 foot kennel run that is 12 x 20. They did have free range in the day on about a quarter of an acre. I had lost 2 hens so closed the remaining 11 in the chicken yard and coop. They were fine for a couple of days then one morning I went out and 9 of them were dead. Some in the coop yard and a couple in the house. Did'nt see a mark on any of them. feathers all over but no blood or rips. I had 2 left the next morning one was dead in the chicken yard and one dead in the house. again no marks on them. None of them were ripped up or partially eaten. Just laying there dead. None of them had been acting sickly they were all happy and in good shape.

Before I started my new flock I covered the run with heavy netting and hot wired about 5 inches from the top of the kennel on the outside. No more problems. I started the new chicks in March and they have been in the chicken yard for months. I did see a hawk the other day dive as if it was going to dive into the chicken yard the stopped the attack when it saw the netting and landed on the top of the kennel.

Any ideas on what got my other hens in February.

 

[bird boy]

Because there was not any damage to the hens it seems it must have been a quick killing disease or poison. Quite possible some bad feed.

 

[smilingcat]

February time frame... Was it wet outside? and more importantly was the feed moist or wet. some times you can't see mold or fungus. They look like feed that has turned into dust.

So if you see no external injuries, I vote for bad feed. or gotten into some poison outside. Did you spray your field or trees in the field? The sulfur compound to stop peach canker is really toxic... Heavy chemical gloves, respirator rubber boots are must for that stuff.

 

[doberbonnie]

It was February in the PNW. Feed is stored indoors in metal bin. I use a pig feeder for the food that drops down as they eat it and it is dry. the last two were happy and fine not looking sick. but dead in the morning. I have thought of something like that but just don't know what it could have been. No spray. pen is way back off road so no poison. The poop board was not real dirty. I think there was still food in the bin when I put the new chickens in. It looked fine so I used it. I wish I knew what the problem was as if it was something I did i sure don't want to repeat it.

The food in the pig feeder does get powdery sometimes in the bottom but many crumbles are available I clean the bin out of dusty food once a week. It is all metal and inside. The waterer is also a pig waterer that is about 50 gallons. I don't fill it full so I can clean it. It is an auto waterer so fresh water comes into the part they drink from.

I did start to wonder if it was something like that.

 

[CAjerseychick]

What kind of feed? Maybe switch to a big commercial brand if you can ....

 

[smilingcat]

I too live in PNW. It was really wet last winter so if the feed was dry then other causes could be exposure from draft. They need fresh air but not cold draft. Even with down feathers and being insulated, if the air is really damp like it was last winter, they could have easily died from exposure. Dew point of air was pretty high so the moisture from air could have condensed on the birds body.

But then again they all died within two days or so... I still think it was the feed.

 

[doberbonnie]

I am leaning that way too. they did not act sick in anyway. tails up and eating freely. the one thing that makes me think it was a preditor is there were feathers everywhere like they were trying to get away. I was just going in for surgery and trying to get things done before I went. I did detect a ammonia smell when I entered the coop on the first day. could that have done it. still doesn't explain the feathers all over.