Sudden death!

[Insouciant07]

So I have a coop of a few 100 Isa brown layers that are 8 weeks old. Since young I've had them in 24 hours of light, thinking they could eat more and grow more that way. After talking to an expert on these chickens, he told me that it's important for them to have a period of darkness to rest. He said I could start with natural lighting, and just turn off lights at night. Last night was the first time I turned off the lights in the coop leaving them in total darkness. This morning I found a bunch of chickens scattered around dead. They have a room and an open door that leads to a fenced up area, with net on top for them to freely come in and out. Most of them were dead outside which rules out being smothered by each other in darkness. A few were smothered in corners of the room, but most outside. It doesn't look like an animal got them because they're whole, no blood or marks except for a few that other chickens pecked on. Could it be that the sudden darkness shocked them to death? There's a few weak ones that aren't dead yet, but they can't really walk, lost balance and so on. The rest of the chickens are fine. These chickens were always healthy and active up until this sudden death, so I don't think it's a disease. Please help with any answers!

 

[Kabootar]

How many of them ended up dead? Did you do the autopsy?

 

[Jenwisp]

I don't know if this will solve your mystery, but I will share my experience.

When my ISA browns were 2 weeks old, my brinsea heatplate finally arrived in the mail. I decided to switch to this from the heat lamp because we couldn't secure the heat lamp as much as I wanted at the time. The heat lamp provided heat via light.. it was on 24 hours a day. The ecoglow is totally dark, no light. Just a hot plate. I had to train the birds to go under the heat plate for heat, because they were so used to the lamp they didn't know there was heat there. I mean they were panicked...

That first night I turned off the room lightning at 7:30 to get them used to a proper day/night schedule and I mean.. they gave panic a new meaning. They were not used to the dark at all, and they were like frenzying, pushing into a corner of the brooder. I had an actual fear they might trample one or two of the weaker ones.

I put the plate on top of them to reassure them they could stay warm. I believe they found it comforting, as they stopped trying to peck their way through the cardboard wall of the brooder. I had to do this a few more nights until they got used to night and day.

My second batch of chicks went through the same to a lesser extent, because they were raised with the heat plate from the start. But, seeing the ISA's in the brooder next door to them I think helped them calm down.

Now, the ISA's are 9/10 weeks, the second batch is 5/6 weeks. ( I am almost done building the coop, I know I need to get them outside but I am the only one building it when I am not at work) There's still a short fuss period when it's lights out, but they calm down quick and sleep.

I was thinking, perhaps maybe your tougher chicks trampled/panicked the weaker ones?

 

[Insouciant07]

How many of them ended up dead? Did you do the autopsy?

37 died and 2 weak. I didn't do an autopsy bc I don't really know what to look for.

 

[Insouciant07]

I don't know if this will solve your mystery, but I will share my experience.

When my ISA browns were 2 weeks old, my brinsea heatplate finally arrived in the mail. I decided to switch to this from the heat lamp because we couldn't secure the heat lamp as much as I wanted at the time. The heat lamp provided heat via light.. it was on 24 hours a day. The ecoglow is totally dark, no light. Just a hot plate. I had to train the birds to go under the heat plate for heat, because they were so used to the lamp they didn't know there was heat there. I mean they were panicked...

That first night I turned off the room lightning at 7:30 to get them used to a proper day/night schedule and I mean.. they gave panic a new meaning. They were not used to the dark at all, and they were like frenzying, pushing into a corner of the brooder. I had an actual fear they might trample one or two of the weaker ones.

I put the plate on top of them to reassure them they could stay warm. I believe they found it comforting, as they stopped trying to peck their way through the cardboard wall of the brooder. I had to do this a few more nights until they got used to night and day.

My second batch of chicks went through the same to a lesser extent, because they were raised with the heat plate from the start. But, seeing the ISA's in the brooder next door to them I think helped them calm down.

Now, the ISA's are 9/10 weeks, the second batch is 5/6 weeks. ( I am almost done building the coop, I know I need to get them outside but I am the only one building it when I am not at work) There's still a short fuss period when it's lights out, but they calm down quick and sleep.

I was thinking, perhaps maybe your tougher chicks trampled/panicked the weaker ones?

Thank you for the share, I believe the ones in the room in the corners were trampled... but the ones outside were just scattered everywhere. Wonder if they died of a panic attack.

 

[Kabootar]

If so many died just in one night without any prior issues then it must be panic. Chickens have a weak heart. I am so sad for you .

 

[Insouciant07]

If so many died just in one night without any prior issues then it must be panic. Chickens have a weak heart. I am so sad for you .

Thank you, it's pretty devastating for so many to die at 8-9 weeks of age. I rather it be due to a panic attack than a disease. Hoping I can figure out a dark time for them without this happening again.

 

[Jenwisp]

It's very sad, I am so sorry for your loss

I have read here that a night light sometimes helps. Maybe starting them earlier, maybe from first day at home, so it's a normal thing for them might help.

 

[orloffer]

I do not know how this would be managed, especially on such a large scale, but I am thinking a light that dims slowly would help. That way it would mimic a sunset, and the chickens would not be frightened by a sudden change in their environment. My quail would always be terrified when I turned their lamp on in the morning, so I turned it on facing away from them, and then gradually turned it towards their brooder.
Also a night light would probably help, as Jenwisp suggested above.