- Sep 16, 2012
- 26
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Well, at the beginning of this month, I put roughly 40 chickens in my chicken coop. There were a mix of bantams, and standards, two standard roosters and about five bantam roosters. For a couple weeks having all the roosters turned out wonderfully, no predators whatsoever. And then, my chickens started to vanish. Literally.
I have had a silver seabright rooster, black silkie (sex unknown), gold seabright rooster, two buff orpingtons, a silver laced Wyandotte, and two Cochins just vanish. No feathers, no blood, no squawking, nothing. There is a six foot chain link fence around their run, so I know they aren't just leaving.
My question is this, what predator will just carry chickens off with no evidence? There are hawks, stray dogs, Bobcats, stray cats, owls, etc. In my area, but I have never had chickens go missing without a trace. Especially not standards. Especially not when there are like six roosters outside.
I did lose my entire flock one time to a bobcat, but the thing had ripped my coop open and there were feathers everywhere. I've had Hawks, and dogs (even my own once in a blue moon. Training is taking for ever.) kill chickens, but they've always left feathers. Same with cats and foxes. Even possums and raccoons. So, again, what could just carry than off like that? Some of my friends have even suggested that people could be taking them.
I have had a silver seabright rooster, black silkie (sex unknown), gold seabright rooster, two buff orpingtons, a silver laced Wyandotte, and two Cochins just vanish. No feathers, no blood, no squawking, nothing. There is a six foot chain link fence around their run, so I know they aren't just leaving.
My question is this, what predator will just carry chickens off with no evidence? There are hawks, stray dogs, Bobcats, stray cats, owls, etc. In my area, but I have never had chickens go missing without a trace. Especially not standards. Especially not when there are like six roosters outside.
I did lose my entire flock one time to a bobcat, but the thing had ripped my coop open and there were feathers everywhere. I've had Hawks, and dogs (even my own once in a blue moon. Training is taking for ever.) kill chickens, but they've always left feathers. Same with cats and foxes. Even possums and raccoons. So, again, what could just carry than off like that? Some of my friends have even suggested that people could be taking them.