Will Spiders Kill My Chickens?

[hankshens]

OK, I have found 2 chickens dead. One was a baby about a month old and it was with its mom, and the other was a silkie hen about 2 years old. This happened 2 days apart. Both seemed very healthy the morning they passed. My silkie hen had just started to molt. I found the baby on top of the nest boxes almost dead and I tried to bring him back to life. I found my hen under a shed. She was not the mother of the baby. Neither have any marks on their bodies, no feathers missing, nothing. I do have black widows and brown rocluses here. I know they will do a number on a person but will they bother a chicken? What if they eat them? These chickens are my pets so I need to find out what is happening to them.

 

[warren]

Here in the UK we do not have poisonous spiders like yours. My hens eat our spiders and seem to enjoy them. I hope someone from your area will have some advice for you soon.

 

[seminolewind]

Wow, that's sad. I think those spiders run and hide if there's something close.
Can you think of anything they would've eaten? Poison? Or the heat? I don't know where you live, but they can die from the heat. I hope some others can come up with ideas.