What on EARTH?!?!?! Missing bird NO body, no feathers!

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WthrLady

WthrLady

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9 Years
Jul 24, 2014
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WestOak, Nebraska
We had a free range 16 week old go missing between 4 and 445pm today. We've walked the whole 7 acres, looked in what few trees we have, looked in drain pipes, checked the wood pile, under the coop, up in the run, the out building.....checked for tracks......nothing.

We found 5 downey butt feathers near the wood pile, but nothing else.

What on EARTH could have taken a larger 16 week old French blue copper Maran, without it struggling, leaving behind feathers or blood or anything?

Even a cooper's hawk or red tail would leave feathers!

A fox/ mink/coyote/dog would certainly need to chase and leave feathers upon catching....and we have snow...no tracks.

PLUS the other girls were NOT freaked out. When it came time to close up for the night, they were peeping for their sister, but quickly settled and went to bed.

I'm so confused! Bummer when you loose one isn't it?

It's like she simply vanished!
 
Speaking from experience, a fox could easily have done that. Especially if she was unsuspecting. They'll stake out an area and strike at just the right moment.
 
Total possibility with this 7 acre hay meadow. Penny was our....how to put it....not the smartest hen in the coop. Not the freshest sandwich in the picnic basket, brightest bulb in the box......
 
You'll want to keep a close eye on the rest of you're flock. Once a predator finds a steady food source it won't stop until the food is gone or it is dead. The latter happened to my fox problem.
 
I know. They've found a docile buffet. I'm on the edge of a state park where wildlife is crazy abundant. They stay in for the next few days, and a game camera is on it's way.
 
So sorry for your loss!! I recently lost my favorite little rooster. I didn't find any feathers, so maybe he ran off and got eaten where i couldn't find him (or his feathers)
hu.gif

You said you have snow...did you see you chickens tracks anywhere?
 
I've had hens go missing overnight. Not there when I lock them up, but show up the next morning after I let the other out. I think they just go find a different spot for the night. Don't give up unless she's still gone tomorrow!
 
Once I saw a hawk eat a bird eating from a bird feeder outside.
He took it in its claws, flew a few meters and ate it.

Where it ate the bird, there were plenty of feathers. At the place where it grasped the bird with its claws, almost nothing. We saw it happen - we were making pizza dough and looking outside ;) If we didn't see it, we would have never known what happened.

I wonder if any pray bird could be strong enough to lift a chicken. A cooper's hawk isn't the largest we have around here. I don't see what else than an air attack would leave no traces in the snow!
 
In the past two days, i have seen coopers hawks, red tails, tiny falcons, a goshawk, and just this morning a very large male northern harrier. Ugh. I just feel awful!
 

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