8 chickens disappeared, 1 found dead

[GoodStuffMaynard]

So Sorry for your loss. My suggestion would be to put up a game camera. Most likely a predator discovered your birds. I don't free range anymore due to losses in the past. Even though you may not see the predators during the day they may still be lurking looking for an opportunity. It's inevitable, when you free range, the birds will be discovered and eventually you will loose some birds. I have several game cameras up and many nights I see a predator on one of the cameras. I do have electric wires around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates and heavy duty netting covering all of the pens also due to losses from predators in the past. Last year I lost my favorite bird to a fox during the middle of the day. I did find a trail or feathers but never found her. I hope your birds come back. This one has been coming around pretty regularly. Around a month ago I'm pretty sure it tested the electric wires around the coops and pens around midnight. I heard something. Once they test the wires they don't usually test them again. I think this is a young fox that was evicted and now has to hunt on it's own. It's pretty skinny.
View attachment 2296079

Thanks for the suggestions!
I definitely won't be letting the 4 I have left free range any more

 

[GoodStuffMaynard]

I’m really sorry. We had a really bad year as new chicken owners. I raised 19 and lost 12 of them over 2 attacks. Each time I could only find feathers for 1. My property is full of dense woods with tons of good hiding. Despite searching for hours, I never found a single hiding chicken. My belief is they got picked off the night following an attack, as they never came home. I lost a lot of favorites. Foxes do hunt during the day, especially when they have young. I hadn’t seen them either, but recently saw 2 in my yard. Currently I am raising little ones to replace the ones I lost, and I now have a secure run.

I'm sorry you lost so many too.
I am on the fence about getting more.
One came back the next morning, so we have 4 left out of 11.
They were very much my pets and not just livestock to me.
I don't want to keep getting attached to them and have things like this happen. I know it's all part of it but dang it sucks. We won't be free ranging anymore thats for sure. So we're going to be working on expanding their fenced in area and making it super predator proof

 

[GoodStuffMaynard]

Sounds like a coyote or dog to be honest. A weasel will kill for fun and leave the bodies, also. Either your birds are hiding, have been carried off, or you just haven't found the bodies. I hope they are hiding. You'll need a covered and secure run or you'll lose them all. Whatever got them will come back. Many supposed nocturnal hunters are opportunistic and can and will kill during the day. Hard lesson learned. Best of luck.

Yeah, definitely a hard lesson. We are going to be expanding their fenced in area to give them more room and making it predator proof, since they won't be free ranging anymore,

 

[RainbowHen]

Yeah, definitely a hard lesson. We are going to be expanding their fenced in area to give them more room and making it predator proof, since they won't be free ranging anymore,

Hang in there

 

[tsperry88]

This is my new secure run. I'll be adding electric fence on the outside tomorrow.

 

[GoodStuffMaynard]

UPDATE: Still haven't had any of the chickens return, so I'm guessing they're gone for good :/
The remaining 4 are not happy about not being able to free range, but they are not staying in their coop all day now.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

UPDATE: Still haven't had any of the chickens return, so I'm guessing they're gone for good :/
The remaining 4 are not happy about not being able to free range, but they are not staying in their coop all day now.

I guess the remainder will have to learn the new way of life. Since they are creatures of habit it'll get easier for them after a while.

 

[50-45-1]

Posted some video of my trail cameras at work.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/watch-this-my-guardian-dogs-at-work.1359157/
I have 7 cameras out right now and run 2 all winter.
I get all the regular preditors day and night.
Not sure where you are located but im sure you have lots of preditors that you will
not be seeing. They hunt to live and not being seen is part of the strategy.

 

[Kakaruk]

Hi, sorry to hear this story. If I let my chickens out of the run at all, it's usually only 1-2 hours before sundown. It allows them to do their thing but hawks are already gone, for example. I have had foxes and racoons captured on my trail cam after dark, I have never seen them during the day. I will not let my chickens out of the run all day. I know they want to but they are just chickens, they will be okay, their feelings won't be hurt by keeping them in the run most of the time. Some days I don't let them out at all. I like to only let them out when I'm out in the yard in the evening and can ensure to escort them back inside as well. I feed pellets, often scratch, and whole corn, and white bread, other table scraps, to keep their diet varied if I'm not letting them out.

I had a friend who always let their chickens out in the day and the coyotes started coming into the yard in broad daylight to snatch one and run off. I think that is consistent with what has been shared...... if they are out during the day, the predators will come.