Mass Chick Death- WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED???

[Peep_Show]

Check your lightbulbs. Are any teflon coated?
Some heat bulbs specifically state "Do not use near birds."
So sorry for your loss. Not a good way to start your day, to be sure.

 

[WestCoast Farm]

As an update today, all the survivors little and the 4-5 week olds are normal and fine. Nothing else happened thank goodness.

I’ve never been so stumped. I’ve seen EVERYTHING in my years. But never anything like this.

 

[WestCoast Farm]

Check your lightbulbs. Are any teflon coated?
Some heat bulbs specifically state "Do not use near birds."
So sorry for your loss. Not a good way to start your day, to be sure.

Not that we know of. Same lights, same everything we’ve used for many years successfully. This brooder barn has only been built for a year, but there’s never been an issue with the countless batches of chicks raised.

Cat fight or wind made some weird noise on the metal roof, causing a terrifying panic / mass death phenomenon? (It wasn’t a windy night, no dogs barking or any strange sounds noted by us).

Wondering if because hubby stored some sheets of tin up there recently, there was a terrifying sound of metal on steel. It’s my only real thought at this point.

 

[WestCoast Farm]

I don't think it would have been bugs, unless a ton of fire ants got in there and then left without a trace.

Do you still have the bodies? I'd inspect them to see if the necks seem broken. Something like a mink could have done that. They kill way more than they can eat, I'm guessing for practice? There would probably be some blood, but I guess it's possible a mink has its killing method down really well.

It could have been a poison that some of them had an immunity to for one reason or another, though I don't know where that poison could have come from.

No sign of bugs. Nothing knocked over as would happen if an animal was in there chasing. No penetration into the steel container, window was open just a crack as always. No tracks or rodent droppings. Just dead bodies everywhere. I even stepped on one when I walked in

 

[Fishkeeper]

I hate to suggest it, but is there any way someone put poison in there? Does anything at all about the others look unusual? Did you happen to check inside the mouths of the dead ones for anything odd?

 

[FluffTheDuck]

Where do you live?

Might be that Newcastle disease.

 

[Cyprus]

Where do you live?

Might be that Newcastle disease.

Newcastle presents differently.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

Newcastle presents differently.

Okay. Thanks!

 

[Cyprus]

Odd question, but any chance a snake a got in? Clearly, a snake isn't capable of killing that many chicks -even a venomous one as it would run out of venom- but it could probably scare them to death.

 

[PirateGirl]

Does this hole still exist? A rat or weasel could get through it pretty easily.