Chick disappeared!

I real
They were'nt eggs they were hatched chicks but I'm begining to suspect rat because I found some poo but I don't know if rats would do that the maine reason why I'm caring so much is that I want to know what I did wrong this time because next time I'm going to have a lot more!


I realize they were chicks not eggs, I was saying they will eat either. Rats will also, they will go after hens if hungry enough!
 
I had a squirrel steal one of my chicks out of my coop. Just bit it in the head and killed it and left it on the outside of the coop. Babies are easy prey even in coops. It was an unfortunate lesson for me.
 
I had a squirrel steal one of my chicks out of my coop. Just bit it in the head and killed it and left it on the outside of the coop. Babies are easy prey even in coops. It was an unfortunate lesson for me.
Yikes! I knew rats would, but never thought a squirrel would! Good to know. I have barn cats that get along well with my chooks to keep the rat and vole population down. Just saw one yesterday with a big ol' rat or vole. So I know she is doing her job.
 
Things in Australia that will eat a chick from a backyard that has any bush near it:

Natives:
Blue tongue lizards (especially).
Monitors (I have seen them raiding kingfisher nests up a tree, in Gippsland. Six foot long lizard climbing a skinny gumtree!).
Possibly water dragons
Many kinds of snakes. Snakes are everywhere, including suburbia.
Aerial raptors such as hawks, eagles, especially peregrine falcons
Kookaburras, butcher birds, currawongs, crows.
Ants (sorry, gross I know, but jack jumpers are violent).

Ferals:
Foxes, cats, rats, dogs

You're in Victoria - if you give me a rough location, I can tell you what predators are in your area.
 
I had an issue with rats snatching my newborn pigeon chicks right out from under their mamas who were sitting on them in nesting boxes. She put up quite a fight, but in the end the rat just simply out maneuvered her and ran off with his prize. Rats generally go after eggs first, but if they encounter a newborn in the same nest...well then...bonus snack time! If it is indeed rats, you'll need to act fast and with a heavy hand because a pair of rats can produce as many as 2000 decedents in one year if left to breed unchecked. So I think your bigger concern right now wouldn't be about finding your chicken but, rather, how to go about losing all those rats! Good Luck!
-kim-
 

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