Chicks dropped dead with bloody ears

[christaD]

Hi all

I woke up to a horror scene in the brooder. My Easter hatch all dead. I’m experienced with chicks and have never seen this before. All 7 were healthy and fine last night no symptoms of anything. Healthy thriving chicks. This morning they were all dead laying different places with blood coming from their ears and some eyes were budging.

Filtered water with 1 tbs ACV/gallon
Medicated chick starter
Heater plate
Pine pellet bedding
Excellent ventilation while maintaining temperature.

I have no idea what happened any advice welcome.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I’m so sorry this happened.
I’ve never heard of something like this, either. I wish I had something more helpful to say other than I’m sorry.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Any chance something could have gotten into your brooder? Your description makes it sound like they were squeezed to death

 

[WingItRanch]

Wow I'm so sorry!

The first thing that comes to mind is head trauma. Maybe something scared them and they ran into the sides of the brooder?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. Where was the brooder located, and was the top open or what was the largest opening on the fencing or covering? Could a rodent or a weasel or mink have gotten inside? Welcome to BYC.

 

[Project Blue]

I'm going to guess someone sprayed insecticide nearby and poisoned bugs fell in the brooder? Or, mouse bait got moved in by a mouse. I had a tortoise die from mouse bait brought in the sunroom where the tortoise lived from outside in a pet safe box. In the tortoise's case he was desiccated but still alive when I found him. His body and head shrunk. It was horrifying and it took awhile for him to die. I looked carefully and saw what looked like crumbs from the bait box outside inside his enclosure. I've had rats move food into nest boxes in my chicken coop before. My husband sprayed inside the garage for ants one time where I keep older chicks. I noticed an accumulation of some kind of dead beetle weeks after and made sure those possibly toxic bugs didn't get in with the chicks. Or maybe the shavings are from treated wood. Regardless of how, I'd guess poisoning.