6 chicks disappeared! Please Help!

[Amy S]

x2. Check craigslist and your local paper in the classifieds under "livestock." Bulletin boards at feed stores as well to see if the thief is trying to sell them. Good luck.

Yes! Yes! Also, they try to sneek pets in under the kid/toys sections.

 

[The Chickeneer]

Well, just in case it was a predator (which I'm pretty sure it wasn't). I locked everyone up last night and let our german shepperd run around there, pee poop leave her sent, scare off any potential predators etc.

Checked craigslist, no recent adds about baby chicks in our area. But I'm pretty sure adds like that will start coming in big numbers after Easter is over and people don't want to deal with their chicks. I'l have to look carefully in order to fine the chicks that are mine, i don't want to lose them in all the other similar chick adds.

Haven't checked the paper yet, but I'm on it.......

I think I might have to set a trap for the 3 am guy. He's been pissing allot of neighbors off lately (including me). My dad suggested chaining some expensive ladder to a tree and waiting out there or something....

This brought me to another idea, If he did actually steal the chicks.....wouldn't there bee some good tools gone too? I haven't worked on anything lately, but I'l have to take inventory and see if anythings missing. But i'm wondering if he was stealing the chicks, since he's already there,might as well steal tools too.

If I check, and don't find any tools missing, I think I'l have to assume it's a predator. But maybe that's his strategy, only go for the chicks and not the tools, so the owner thinks it's a predator . Then I guess I'm gonna be stuck on this thought.

But even if I somehow come down to the idea it must have been a predator, How on earth would it take the locked up chicks and leave the older chickens alone when their coop doors are wide open? Plus I have a broody in a separate coop, wouldn't she have been an easy target?

My mind hurts just thinking of all that could have happened

 

[Amy S]

Unless it was a smaller predator, but, still...aren't 7 week old chicks pretty big? I have three week old ducks, and they are near as thick as a small chicken.

If you are betting it's someone stealing them....I had a friend who had fishing equiptment stolen from his back porch and garage, more than a few times. He put up a sign in his front yard that said something to the effect "Go ahead. And make sure you smile for the camera while you're stealing my property." It worked...no more stealing. Hehe...

 

[WaldensRidge]

Sorry to hear about you loss. I'd focus on trying to catch 3am guy in the act. Set bait and a game camera and wait. This guy needs to be caught and prosecuted.

 

[powers]

I'm so sorry! I couldn't imagine how big of a headache you must have, trying to rack your brain as to what happened!! I would keep an eye out for the "creepy 3 am guy". Do you have motion lights? We do & if one goes off the dogs notice & kind of prance around the house a little. Keep us all posted, i'll be thinking of you & your little ones!! ):

 

[lclough1998]

can rats get in where they are? They will just tug babies down their holes, its awful, I lost 3 in one night, although they were younger then yours. So sorry, its really crummy when you have gone to so much time, effort, love and money to lose them. I hope you figure it out.

 

[The Chickeneer]

Well I know its not rats. They would have to drag the chicks through the wire floor and the chicks would not fit at all. Or the rats would have to climb up the walls(pretty hard to do) Plus the rats around here are not big enough to even take down a 7 week old chick. The rats and mice take off full speed at even the sight of a chicken.

I set up motion lights in the driveway after the cell phone incident. They seem to be working pretty well. Amy S

I think that story of your friend that put up the sign is really funny, I think I might just try that

 

[stellacorina]

Do you have a dog if so he might of ate them that or if you have a cat the cat might have ate it as well

 

[Oregon Blues]

If they are really young, it could have been a snake.

If I had a neighbor prowling around and stealing things, I'd have a good quality game camera so I could turn him in to the police.

 

[The Chickeneer]

I keep wanting to think it's a predator, but there is no place they could have come into the coop, and no place where the chicks could have gotten out. No feathers anywhere, everything seems untouched. I didn't notice any tools missing, so I have no idea if it was the 3 am guy that stole them or not. I am absolutely positive that it was not a predator, other than that, I'm not so sure about anything else. A snake possibility keeps crossing my mind, but how could it swallow 6 chicks whole that are 7 weeks old, and find a way to get out of the coop (after eating that much) without leaving a trace.

Nothing makes sense anymore. I'm stuck between a creepy 3 am guy that always steals neighbors tools, but decided to leave mine and take the chicks, and a magical snake that can fit through wire mesh after a big meal. Which is it? The world may never know

I've givin up on this little mystery, just gives me headaches. So I've decided to just not let it happen again.....I'l still be checking the paper and craigslist, I'l be keeping a lookout for snakes.....

Anyways, went to the feed store today, bought 3 ducklings to keep my lonely little Australorp chick company. They all seem pretty happy. I'l be praying and hoping these don't disappear on me