Backyard Poultry Forum

New Member here - trying to find out what might be causing my chickens to die
History - Had 8 chickens (mixed - Isa, Buff Orpington, splash wynadotte, barnvelder & Light Sussex) & a Australorp Wynadotte Rooster
New Neighbours dog got in and killed 2 Light Sussex
2 months later they replaced with 2 more - they looked healthy enough and looked to be about 18 weeks - had not laid yet.
Within 3 days 1 had died - no visible signs - other than a bit of pecking at rear end which I thought might have occured when they were introduced to flock. A week or two later, the other Sussex was dead.
Now I wake this morning to one of the Splash Wynadottes dead - it appears to have quite substantial feather loss - on one side and the bottom of neck - can't say I noticed this when it was alive though.

Any clue to what I might be looking at - I can post pics of dead body if nobody is opposed to that ?

Don't want to lose the whole flock because I may have missed something ? Would like to try and find cause and treat if possible

Do you think neighbours dog got in again?

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Four happy chickens started Dec 2017
Two Isa Browns and Two Australorp crosses.
Two rooster's accidentally added to the bunch, cross Araucana and cross Ancona 2018 rehomed 2019
RIP Daisy 2019
Two Isa Browns added 2019 = 5 happy chickens

pics please

No don't think dogs got it - it was on the ground in the shed - which is pretty secure - colourbond with roof.

Other two Light Sussex were found in similar situation - dead on the ground in the enclosed chook house.
All had feathers missing - that I had not noticed prior.

Depending on where you are situated it could be a phascogale, although I would have expected more damage to the birds. Here's a link viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7975304&start=0&hilit=phascogale

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John

Some years ago I found a rooster in the morning dead under the perch and his face had been eaten. I am pretty sure that he died suddenly and when he was dead either rats, or in my situation more likely mice ate his head.
I don't know if they would remove feathers.
Sorry about your pretty birds.

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Small free-range flock of Croad Langshans
http://croadlangshan.org/