What is killing them?

[cposz]

Not my chickens - squirrels!
We have found 3 dead squirrels in 3 days next to or on our compost pile. We have always had a lot of squirrels - and we have always had the same old compost pile. This is our first fall with chickens (4 of them) and the only thing which is different this year is that now our compost pile is full of chicken poo.

Could chicken poo kill them?

Our fear, of course, is that whatever is killing the squirrels might be a danger to the chickens, too. The girls seem fit as fiddles - and they aren't free ranging, so we are not worried about them eating the dead squirrels.

Anyone have any ideas what this could be - or who we should contact?

 

[CMV]

Do the carcasses look like they died from injuries? If not, could one of your neighbors have set out poison? I'd be worried, too.
Edited to add- if chicken poop were toxic my dogs would be dead three times over. Yuck.

 

[cposz]

No - no blood anywhere, and no obvious injuries. They look like they are sleeping or something (only stiff!).

And they are all right at the compost pile ... weird.

 

[millebantam]

I would be thrilled to find my chickenyard littered with the dead bodies of those destructive little rats wearing fancy coats.

 

[cposz]

I'm not sure they've been all that destructive here - they don't get into the coop or the feed - all they do is chase each other around alot. And there are ALOT of squirrels here - always have been. My hens watch them running around from their run, but neither shows a real interest in the other.

 

[CMV]

Interesting. I'd guess poison or toxin depending on whether it was deliberate or not.

 

[patman75]

Any quilty looks on any of your chickens? they could be looking for a little extra protien.

 

[cposz]