Seven dead hens within 4 hours, not attacked. UPDATE: Teflon Poisoning!

[Ruralhideaway]

I could be wrong but seems it wouldn't have gotten that warm in there in the current north east temps.

 

[AaronandAlice]

I'm sorry for your lose .You need to necropsy one of them . Do you have a vet that will do that for you? If you can't find any puncture marks or tracks I would .What is your deworming program? What has water consumption been like . Fifteen chickens should be downing a gallon a day . Or close to it . There many viruses that the first symptom is death . If you care for your chickens like you've built their coop and run . Well then they could have a chicken killing disease. Good luck . hope you figure it out .

Our regular vet doesn't see chickens. They've been drinking well, I change their water twice a day to make sure it doesn't get frozen or get shavings/ feces in it. It's never empty- but I put in about a gallon and a half each time I go up. They haven't been dewormed since they were chicks. I still find it odd that 7 moving birds all died within 2 hours of one another.

 

[AaronandAlice]

That product seems to just be zeolite. Same as sweetpzd. Essentially harmless.

Yes, it said it's made for chickens and I bought it at Tractor Supply.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I could be wrong but seems it wouldn't have gotten that warm in there in the current north east temps.

The concern about overheating stems from many many posts by folks with tiny prefab coops stuffing a heat lamp in too. Basically turning the small coop into a rotisserie.
There was even a post with birds that had singed feathers. Yea sleeping birds do NOT move.


I am concerned by the speed of death.


@AaronandAlice have you moved your remaining birds from the coop for at least the night?

 

[TexasSam]

floor space is about 32 sq ft and the ceiling slopes from 6 ft at front to about 5 feet at back interior height. I had 12 birds. Their door was open today. I'm not sure even a vent could prevent frost in our weather- we just got snow yesterday and today.

It would especially to help remove humidity

 

[CapricornFarm]

It's decent sized- I can walk in it comfortable with all of them inside. there is even frost on the inside of the glass and the door in the mornings.

Could be a ventilation and ammonia problem. With the heat and all...

 

[CapricornFarm]

Put a vent at the top on the same side as the door under the overhang

You need one square foot per bird of ventilation...

 

[Kathy Golla]

I was thinking that too about ammonia but would think OP would be able to clearly smell the ammonia.
In Maine with that size coop with a heat lamp doesn't seem like it would have that impact , suddenly like that. Would think there would have previously been some sign.
Feels like some sort of toxicity or the weasel idea is on point.

 

[AaronandAlice]

The concern about overheating stems from many many posts by folks with tiny prefab coops stuffing a heat lamp in too. Basically turning the small coop into a rotisserie.
There was even a post with birds that had singed feathers. Yea sleeping birds do NOT move.


I am concerned by the speed of death.


@AaronandAlice have you moved your remaining birds from the coop for at least the night?

I have nowhere to put them unfortunately. Because our house burned and hasn't been built yet, we have no garage or anywhere else to put them safely. We are in a tiny mobile home with a dog who would lose her mind and no space to even put them in a box. They're big breeds like 7-10 lbs each and the rooster comes up to my knee. He's the only one still active in the coop- the remaining living hens were sleeping.

 

[grayyell11]

Could be something bad in food/water?