Whole flock gone

[Kwdfunnyfarm]

Hello. I am looking to see of anyone might have a clue to our mystery. Yesterday evening we went out to the coop to collect eggs and all 12 hens and our 1 rooster were dead in the coop. None of them in the run. They were all on one side of the coop and it was the strangest thing. No indication of a predator. They're all different ages, the oldest being 3 years and the youngest not even a year.

They had stopped laying for several months, so we added in black sunflower oil seeds, all stock sweet feed, and catfish food pellets. Within 2 days they started laying again. This was a little over a week ago. My thought initially is if it were poison, then wouldn't they be scattered through out the run and the coop?..and they all died the same afternoon... any thoughts?

 

[Iluveggers]

Hello. I am looking to see of anyone might have a clue to our mystery. Yesterday evening we went out to the coop to collect eggs and all 12 hens and our 1 rooster were dead in the coop. None of them in the run. They were all on one side of the coop and it was the strangest thing. No indication of a predator. They're all different ages, the oldest being 3 years and the youngest not even a year.

They had stopped laying for several months, so we added in black sunflower oil seeds, all stock sweet feed, and catfish food pellets. Within 2 days they started laying again. This was a little over a week ago. My thought initially is if it were poison, then wouldn't they be scattered through out the run and the coop?..and they all died the same afternoon... any thoughts?

I am so so sorry. Were they injured that you could see? Feather piles? Was the coop door open? Pictures of the setup?

 

[MysteryChicken]

@Wyorp Rock

@azygous

@Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

Were you by some chance using a new heat lamp bulb replacing one that had burned out? If so, look on the bulb and see if it says Teflon coated,shatter resistant.

When so many chickens die at exactly the same time with no apparent injuries or signs of sudden illness such as diarrhea, I suspect an air pollutant. Another cause is carbon monoxide from fumes from an engine running in or near the chickens.

 

[Kwdfunnyfarm]

Were you by some chance using a new heat lamp bulb replacing one that had burned out? If so, look on the bulb and see if it says Teflon coated,shatter resistant.

When so many chickens die at exactly the same time with no apparent injuries or signs of sudden illness such as diarrhea, I suspect an air pollutant. Another cause is carbon monoxide from fumes from an engine running in or near the chickens.

No we haven't used any heat lamps this winter and our vehicles are not close to their area.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

They were all on one side of the coop and it was the strangest thing. No indication of a predator.

Some predators kill everything that moves and some pile their prey.

To me.. it sounds very much like predator activity and certainly would NOT be dismissed so easily.

Pictures or description of your set up as well as general location in the world may help rule certain ones in or out.

Sorry for your loss!

Hope you get answers.

ETA: injuries are easy to miss.

 

[Kwdfunnyfarm]

I am so so sorry. Were they injured that you could see? Feather piles? Was the coop door open? Pictures of the setup?

No injuries that we could see. All feathers intact, no blood, and yes the door was open because it was still early evening. We have had hawk attacks in the past so their run is completely enclosed.

 

[Sammster]

I'm so sorry

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Do you have weasels in your area?

 

[Kwdfunnyfarm]

Some predators kill everything that moves and some pile their prey.

To me.. it sounds very much like predator activity and certainly would NOT be dismissed so easily.

Pictures or description of your set up as well as general location in the world may help rule certain ones in or out.

Sorry for your loss!

Hope you get answers.

ETA: injuries are easy to miss.

We are in north Texas. The setup is a small leland shed and the run is a chain link dog run covered with chicken wire and the top is a chicken wire roof. They weren't piled up but they definitely were not scattered. To be honest it looks as if someone went in there lined them up and executed them... does that make sense? We checked the perimeter for any holes, or possible ways a predator would have gotten in and didn't find anything. No teeth marks, no blood, and none of them had missing feathers that we could see. We aren't ruling anything out. I was just wondering if anyone had heard of such a thing happening and if it could have been any of the new stuff we added to their feed. It was shocking because they hadn't laid since before the heat of the summer, but 2 days after adding the above to their feed they were back laying again.