18 Adult Chickens gone

[Kimmie0627]

I had 18 chickens go missing. First night 7 went missing. No feathers, no blood, no visable way for them to get out. Then 4 days later the remaining 11 up and disapear. in between the nights I predator proofed the pen. I am really thinking the constantly complaining neighbors did something. But is there any other animals that may have done this???? I live in Ohio.

 

[leadwolf1]

I think you may be right about your neighbors. I don't know any predator that could take that many chickens without leaving some trace. I padlock my coops so I know that there isn't a predator on earth that can get in.

 

[Grateful Dad]

what animal is smart enough to carry off 18 chicken in complete silence and not shed a drop of blood?
call the police and have them fingerprint.
joe

 

[SouthernChicka8]

wow so sorry to hear this! Im sure a predator would have left some trace of feathers or something.. Maybe your right and it was your neighbors! Oh no!

 

[MoonAngel12]

I would vote the neighbors going by the sounds of it. How scummy if that's the case! Any other animal would have left some form of evidence. I had a snake get into my chicks and there wasn't much to go on, but enough to know what did the damage. There should have been noise, feathers, blood, bodies, something... anything. Too clean for a "natural" predator IMO.

 

[BigRooNTN]

This past fall, my brothers coop got raided by raccoons. They left a mess of dead carcasses. Some they just ate the inside of and others they just killed and left laying. So, in your case the predators would have to make a lot of trips to and from the coop to get that many of your birds. They would leave some kind of a sign like at my brothers. Needless to say, he and his wife were devistated.

A hidden video camera may be the way to get the best evidence.

Sorry for the loss.

 

[zazouse]

Sounds like you need a game cam cause i believe you got 2 legged critter praying on your birds.
Has anything happened to your pheasants?
Hope you get to the bottom of this,darn shame folks gotta be this way.

 

[Oregon Blues]

A fox will carry off a lot of chickens in one night. Perhaps a mother with a half grown litter might take that many.

However, I suggest better locks and a game cam. Report theft to the police and call the humane society and let them know all those chickens have been stolen. If it was the neighbor, he took them someplace. Maybe he released them out in the country, and someone might call in to report it.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Also, if I were getting a lot of complaints from neighbors, I'd take steps to reduce noise. Just to be good neighborly. They can't run my household for me, but I see little benefit in provoking them, either.