The owners of the farm are hoping to resume operations in June, but in the meantime are left to persevere through a difficult time

The owners of Kakadoodle Farm in suburban Matteson are left in shock after bird flu decimated their operations, leading to the deaths of their entire flock of chickens.

Thousands of birds either died from the illness or had to be euthanized at the farm, leaving owners MariKate and Marty Thomas in shock.

The owners went outside on Jan. 12 to find dozens of hens dead on the property. At first, they hoped the animals had been killed by the frigid winter conditions.

"We noticed about 30 dead birds, and we were hoping it was environmental," explained MariKate. "But then we noticed there were hundreds more in our first coop we have.

After days of seeing numerous birds dying, the pair called in the USDA.

It confirmed through testing that the bird flu had killed hundreds, meaning the rest of the flock had to be ethically euthanized.

Authorities think wild birds near the property may have spread the disease through the hens' feed.

"There were no signs," MariKate said. "The birds were healthy, totally fine and laying eggs, and they were literally in their laying boxes and dying."

The loss is devastating for the family farm. It relied on the profits from the 2,000 dozen eggs their flock produced weekly.

MariKate said many of their loyal customers would come by to purchase eggs regularly. Now, all of that has stopped.

"It's been a rollercoaster of emotions," MariKate said. "I have no control over this. We are making the next best choice for our family and our farm."

The farm is under a 150-day quarantine, mandated by law. In June, they hope to have a new flock, but in the meantime, Kakadoodle is working with its partners to offer products to customers as it seeks ways to persevere through the devastating loss.

"We are very faithful people, and farming has given us an opportunity to exercise that," MariKate said, "We're on this journey. We're excited to see where it takes us because we aren't in control of any of this."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A.

You can read more about Kakadoodle Farm at their website.