2/3 disappeared

[Ravishaw]

In September I bought 3 little barred rock pullets to go with my little flock of hens. Two have disappeared, the latest last night. I'm not really saddened, but I don't want to lose any more. I have one of the pullets I bought left and I'm not letting them out of their coop to freerange in my yard.

My first thought, is bird of prey.

But my second thought now is that this pullet doesn't have any of her "sisters" anymore. Do they get lonely and go nuts w/o a friend? I'm afraid she's going to be a total loner, and end up banished from the flock to the point of starvation or easy pickings for another bird of prey.

 

[texascowboy1979]

Quote:
THe disapearace can be any number of things, Bird of prey, hawks, dogs, cats, bobcats, racoons, rats, possims, ants, snakes, ect.

 

[Minniechickmama]

You can eliminate a couple of those, for instance a dog or any other canine type predator. There are certain signs that are distinctive of each predator, and dogs or coyotes and such would leave feathers everywhere. A bird of prey is a likely culprit if there are no traces. Also, a coon or opossum would leave feathers behind as there would be some struggle from the bird being attacked. Whatever took your birds did it without a struggle from what you said. And a bird of pray would have swooped down and grabbed the chicken up and run off. Perhaps a fox could have snatched and grabbed and then ran off, but I don't think I would look at that. Did you look around for tracks?

As for worrying about the one left incorporating into the flock, that will have to be watched for. Not much else you can do there.