A family-run farm in south suburban Matteson was left grappling after a bird flu outbreak wiped out its entire flock.Kakadoodle Farm is now looking into how to get back and running after losing its flock of nearly 3,000 hens. Owners MariKate and Marty Thomas were first tipped off last week when they walked into their coop and discovered that about 30 hens had died without symptoms. The couple initially thought that freezing temperatures were to blame — until the next day, when the number of deaths tripled. After talking to their local veterinarian, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was called in. USDA officials arrived at the farm Friday and later that day confirmed that the birds had bird flu. By then, only about 500 of their hens were still alive. Related Flamingo, seal die of bird flu at Lincoln Park Zoo Bald eagle’s death from bird flu in Chicago suburb part of spike in cases in Illinois USDA officials told the couple their flock was likely infected by wild birds getting into the chicken feed. Kakadoodle Farm is an online farmers market that has been delivering organic, chemical-free produce to homes in the area since 2020. Marty Thomas said he was aware of the uptick in bird flu cases but never imagined it would hit their farm. "Our birds are pasture raised, so they live out in the environment, and this is a natural consequence of that," Marty Thomas said. "People usually don't lose everything, but when they're out in the natural world, it's kind of the environmental tax that you pay." The flock produced about 2,000 eggs a week for the online marketplace and has resulted in a huge financial loss, Marty Thomas said. Now the farm is under a 150-day quarantine, and the owners are seeking help to keep their farm running until they can begin selling again in June. After the quarantine, the owners hope to build up the flock and construct a new-and-improved chicken coop that will help protect from any future outbreaks. "People that go through hard times, they can either ask, 'Why me?' or they can ask 'What's next?'" Marty Thomas said. "We're choosing to ask what's next."