Terrible, awful day. Almost all of my chickens dead. ***Update***

[tinychicky]

lots and lots of hugs for you because no one, ever, can replace the birds you lost today.

 

[hcppam]

So sorry!!!!!!

 

[cyanne]

I bought my BBS Orpington eggs from a member of this forum, Tuffoldhen, years ago. I bought 6 and put them under Mumu and she hatched 4. I got a black hen, a blue hen, a splash rooster, and a black rooster (that was the one named Pansy). Was so funny to watch this tiny little silkie hen mothering those chicks that outgrew her so quickly. She was still trying to sit on them when they were nearly twice her size!

The splash died, but the rest I have had all these years. We named the black rooster Pansy because he grew so big, so fast but kept his baby peep voice for a long time so hubby made fun of him all the time and said he sounded like a big pansy. He grew so big and heavy that, as he got older, he walked funny and was prone to leg problems because he still insisted on roosting up high and jumping off each day. Despite his limp, he was the master of the flock and since he has been in that position nearly ever chick that hatches here has been black! He was very good at making sure his genes were passed on, that's for sure.

He was so big that people were often scared of him, but he was totally a gentle giant. Since he started limping and acting stiff in his joints over the past year I would often look at him walking by and think that maybe I should cull him...but then he was bright eyed and didn't seem to be in any pain so I had resolved myself to keeping an eye on him and putting him down if he ever got bad enough that it was a kindness to do so. Having already made that decision and thinking I had already come to terms with the idea, it was a shock to find him lying there next to the door of the coop and realize I was not at all ready to let him go. And to see his adoptive momma, Mumu, lying a few feet away...well, there are no words to describe how that feels. Needless to say, if I find out the feed was the cause I am going to have some not-very-nice words with the feed mill.

 

[cyanne]

@mljohnson05: Nope, no signs of struggle and no wounds at all on the birds. Normally we let them free range, but we do leave them penned from time to time if we notice a hawk or coyote hanging around. Their coop was closed and their run was secure as well. That was why I first suspected the heat, but then I noticed that all of the broodies, some of whom are sitting practically on top of each other and most of which are heavily-feathered were fine. You'd think the heat would be worst if they were sitting crammed in a nest box side by side on top of a bunch of eggs, not getting up to drink very often.

Then I remembered the other thing broodies have in common, they don't get up to eat very often.

Also, my hubby just re-filled the feeders yesterday and the dead birds weren't up on the roost, they were scattered on the floor all around the feeders. One or two were lying right next to/halfway under the feeders.

I mean, with as hot as Texas gets, heat is always a concern and it's possible that it could have caused this, but I have to wonder why they wouldn't just walk right out into their run and stand in the shade if the coop got too hot like they would normally do and why some would die and others be fine. So frustrating not to know.

 

[angelbabyamy]

About a month ago I had 7 Blue Swedish Duck babies that were about 4 weeks old and before I went to work, I opened a new bag of Purina Flock Raiser and gave them some food. Came home later that day to one dead baby and another that died a few hours later. I have no clue as to what happened. I never used the bag of feed and was too busy to call the feed store to ask about it. I had planned on trying to give it to a few roos I had to see if anything happened to them after they ate it, but I found them homes.
Let us know what you find out.
I am so sorry about your chickens!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I once had some walk in aviaries. I kept exotic finches in one of them. I came home one day to find them all dead at one end of the aviary. No signs of trauma. I could only surmise that something landed on top of the pen and frightened them and they flew until exhausted and hit the wire.

I wonder if something scared your birds and they ran around the pen until they dropped from exhaustion due to the heat and exerting excess energy???

edited to complete my sentences! lol

 

[mackak]

I am so very, very sorry for your loss. You came to the right place to share. I am sure everyone here is feeling for you tonight! I am sure your chickens knew they were loved!

 

[cyanne]

Anything is possible at this point, but I still can't figure out how something could have gotten in there with them and gotten out. Their coop is a big wooden barn, 12ft by 24 ft with the barn-style lofted roof. It has lots of vents and a whirlygig on top to draw out hot air, but there isn't anywhere that a predator could stand outside and be seen by the chickens to scare them. It would have had to go inside their run, go into the pop door, and chase them inside the coop, then leave without eating or biting any of them. Now, their run is fenced with wire fencing so a dog or whatever could easily run around out there and spook them, but I didn't find any dead chickens in the run. Maybe a dog or coyote was outside and scared them into the coop? It would make sense if they were already overheated from stress and then afraid to come back outside.

Will have to see what I can find out about the feed. At this point I am scared to feed any of my animals since I buy both the chicken feed and my goat feed from the same feedstore and someone did point out to me that the feedstore could have stored it near something toxic or maybe it was old and they stored it improperly so it spoiled. So, for now the goats are getting just hay until this is straightened out.

 

[Chicken Coach]

SORRY, i lost a whole pen of chickens years ago,then looked OK not sick or tore up bodies. I had them checked by a state vet and they had very small bite marks in their neck a mink killed them all

 

[Ivywoods]

So sorry! I'm sure you are devastated! The feed might be the issue, but another possibility is black flies. Swarming black flies can wipe out an entire flock, except for the ones that are able to hide from them.

It's just another thought to consider.