15wk Cockarel Missing While Free Ranging

[lmadeline146]

I’ve been free ranging the younger chickens in my flock for around a month now and have had no issues. I let them out like normal today and go to round them up a few hours later and notice I’m missing one of the cockarels.
It was broad daylight and I some feathers scattered in an area behind the run. A few of the chickens were still near the area and didnt seem shocked or worried at all. I saw no hawks outside today and only saw a few vultures. The last time we had a predator problem was a year ago with raccoons. We were also outside majority of the day and never heard any commotion. I checked the area and never found any signs of him alive or dead. Any idea what could’ve got him? I’m hoping he’s still alive somewhere.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hopefully he'll return, but if you found a scattered feathers, something like a Fox or Coyote may have taken him.

 

[lmadeline146]

Hopefully he'll return, but if you found a scattered feathers, something like a Fox or Coyote may have taken him.

Okay, thank you. Is it strange that there was no commotion? I never heard any noises from our rooster or other hens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If you rooster and hens were not near that area, they may have not made a commotion.

Do you have a game camera that you can set up to monitor activity.
I've had Coyote take birds during the day with not much commotion, they wait and watch, when a bird gets near enough, they make a snatch and are gone - very quick. Caught it on camera, probably less than 10-15 seconds - they were out of there.

 

[McChooky]

Cackle hatchery had this to say about vultures killing baby animals.

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/do-vultures-kill-chickens/