I'm so sad...lost 2 chickies

[Wintersun]

My 10 chickies are more like adolescents now at 13 weeks old. They free range (out of the run) most of the time and up till yesterday, no worries. However, I came home yesterday to find 2 of my chickies are missing. Of course a mother doesn't have favorites but the 2 missing are the ones that were friendliest to me (and one was named after my mother!). They were curious and would be underfoot in the garden, roost on my lap after having a tasty snack. I really wanted my chickies to be friendly and was satisfied that at least a couple were. Now they're gone! I knew it was a risk when we decided to free range but I'm still sad.

Now my husband wants to keep them in the run unless we're out in the yard. He said whatever got them knows there's an easy tasty meal in our yard and will come back. The run is fine. I'd say it's about 100sf for 8 chickens. They're just so much happier in the yard, eating bugs, scratching at my mulch and laying under the lilacs.

 

[sourland]

Until you define the problem, I agree with your husband.

 

[Wintersun]

We live in the country and abut woods all around. I'm not sure we'll know exactly what happened. It could have been a fox or coyote or hawk. I don't know.

Has anyone experienced this and noticed if their chickens acted different after a loss? I may just be imagining it but I think they're acting skittish. In fact I went out to see them just now and they usually come out of the coop and huddle around me in the run looking for food. They wouldn't budge out of the coop.

 

[BGinVA]

I'm sorry for your loss. We are in the same situation, rural setting with woods all around with a few houses scattered nearby. We only let ours out to forage under supervision for their safety, its like taking the kids outside to play. And yes I'd think it is quite possible that they witnessed something terrifying that is making them skittish. Chickens may not be the smartest animals, but their instincts know that something bad happened and they need to use caution.

 

[Roxannemc]

Sure they do know.Mine are under 2 weeks and their tub sits in my bathtub Came in the other day and they wetr acting weird looking at me scared and expectant...one had jumped out and was under the brooder IN the bathtub..so they do know something bad happened.I would also keep them in unless you are aRound as your DH is totally right.Whatever it is knows where an easy meal is and WILL come back for more.

 

[JanetS]

I agree with your husband, I have 6 chickens who only free range when me or my daughter can watch them. We usually let them out twice a day. They love being out and sometimes it's hard to get them back into the run but the I think its the safest way. So sorry for your loss!!

 

[sourland]

We live in the country and abut woods all around. I'm not sure we'll know exactly what happened. It could have been a fox or coyote or hawk. I don't know.

Has anyone experienced this and noticed if their chickens acted different after a loss? I may just be imagining it but I think they're acting skittish. In fact I went out to see them just now and they usually come out of the coop and huddle around me in the run looking for food. They wouldn't budge out of the coop.

You will know what happened, because the predator will be back - keep your eyes open. It is very likely that they are aware that the predator is skulking around; therefore, they are stayng in a safe place.

 

[crenees]

We live in the country and abut woods all around. I'm not sure we'll know exactly what happened. It could have been a fox or coyote or hawk. I don't know.

Has anyone experienced this and noticed if their chickens acted different after a loss? I may just be imagining it but I think they're acting skittish. In fact I went out to see them just now and they usually come out of the coop and huddle around me in the run looking for food. They wouldn't budge out of the coop.

Hey Wintersun!

I've been having an ongoing battle with predators in my area as well and, yes, chickens are social birds and will act differently after a loss of one, or more, of their flock mates. I had two chickens...one of which had gone broody and hatched three chickies (all MIA although i found the mother in the yard...licked to death) killed over the course of two days (a neighbors cat was the culprit and we had a nice looong talk . After their deaths, my chickies didnt lay for a month and hung around their coop, even though they're free-ranging birds.

Also awhile back, while raising a flock of meat chickens, they were completely annihalited by a fox (fifteen killed in one night) that we eventually had to trap and relocate (although not before spending a fortune reinforcing the coop and run and keeping my remaing three chickies on lockdown

Another thought, is to buy a game cam...set it up in your yard, see what's prowling, and set a trap (i favor the non-lethal kind with bait you know the culprit will go for and hope for the best.

Hope that helps...although i'm somewhat of a newbie to the chicken thang...it's definitely been a learning and sometimes heartbreaking, although totally worth it, experience!

Courtney

 

[Wintersun]

Thank you everyone. I feel better just knowing I'm not alone. I like the game cam idea, Courtney. I'll look into that. We're going to keep them in the run for a few days and see if they can calm down some. Then we'll only let them out while we're around. It's too bad because I really wanted to allow them to free range full time. I guess it was a lesson learned for us.