I got 6 pullets from a friend 1 1/2 weeks ago. They were just starting to lay (on Sat. there were 5 cute little pullet eggs in the coop). On Sat. we let them out to free range with the rest of the flock (no lectures on quarantining, please - it's a choice I made and that's the end of it). Saturday night they were all back in their coop. Sunday morning everyone went out, Sunday night 5 were in the coop. DH let them out yesterday and went to work at his sister's all day, I was at my job. Everyone present and accounted for last night. Today, DH was around most of the day except for a few hours while out doing fieldwork. Tonight, 4 more of the new pullets are missing. There are no feather piles, no carcasses, so I don't think it's our dog (10 month old Redbone Coonhound mix with history of killing chickens in June, but there was evidence EVERYWHERE). I'm guessing it's most likely a coyote. When I came up to the house and told DH about it, he said, "Well, that maybe explains why they all went running for cover late this afternoon." I guess he looked out his office window and saw them all scattering. But we've seen that anytime any large bird flies over, so it wasn't on his radar to check it out. I find it interesting that it was all the new birds that have disappeared. I don't know if they free ranged where they used to live or not. If not, they maybe just didn't know to run for cover. Needless to day, they'll all be cooped for awhile.