Help! Swarm of flying gnat-like bugs

[ChickadeeJack]

Just found three out of our four 2ish-month old chickens dead in the coop yesterday with little bugs flying all around them. I had a hunch it was the bugs that killed them but seemed so odd to me that it would happen in the only 8 hours that they were outside --- I have still been bringing them into a cage in the garage at night, away from the "big girls."

For some reason I figured the big hens would be fine, since I'd never noticed any problems with them before. Then I noticed one had missing tail feathers today --- odd, I though, but still wasn't putting things together. Tonight I went out to the coop to close it up and noticed the girls weren't roosting. They always roost, of course. Then I saw all these little gnat-like flying (a tad bigger then gnats) bug still all over one side of the door to the nesting box; some were flying about as well. I suddenly realized that all three hens must be on the other side of the door. Yep - all three of them crammed into one nesting box flicking and snapping at the air. Poor things. I closed it back up feeling helpless about what else I could really do tonight, and ran inside. A few of the bugs had gotten caught up in my fuzzy hair and it took me a bit to feel like I was bug-free.

Any idea what these nasty little creatures could be and how I can get rid of them? Has anyone heard of had a bug like this killing some young chickens so quickly?

Thanks for any help!!!! We are supposed to leave for vacation tomorrow at noon for 9 days. Hoping I can work like crazy tomorrow morning to clean the girls and the coop up??

 

[centrarchid]

Uh oh!

Insects likely not your primary problem. I would get out there and move chickens to another location like you garage tonight.

With good light, as you move them, look for evidence of fly strike. If found, then treat accordingly.

Set a trap in or around your coop possibly armed with carcasses or cat food. You may have a predator getting in, disturbing and damaging birds setting stage for other health issues as well. Look to see how a critter might be getting in.

Look really close for small opossum being trouble maker.

 

[chickens really]

Clean your coop and keep feed and water outside....Hang a sticky fly bait trap in your coop....
Not sure what killed the birds but it was not the bugs....

 

[aart]

Definitely check the birds over very carefully.
Parting feathers down to the skin all over to look for wounds that my be infested with maggots, especially around messy vents.

There are a type of gnat/fly that have killed chickens, in extreme situations....
....'buffalo gnats' is what I recall them being called.