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Thank you , I'm sure they well . I'm absolutely sure there are tons of raccoons and other predators in the area , but also 99.9% sure no coons have been in the pen nor drug a bird through the wire . It would have had to have been an owl or hawk if they never escaped on their own , but no sign of a kill inside the pen . I'll be adding a second hotwire and setting the livetrap because with at least 4 escapees and more likely 7 , the local predators have surely eaten chicken recently . I really think my losses have been due to me not securing my birds in and not that I'm not keeping predators out .
The immediate area was home to a pair of pitbulls that ran loose and slept in what is now my chicken coop up untill 45 days ago so predators undoubtedly stayed away in the past . I sure wish I could leave one of my bulldogs there at night but that's just not possible yet ; and I would never leave one of my dogs to run free and unsupervised like the pitbulls were anyway . My opinion is that all animals should be confined to one's own property ; but it would sure be nice to be moved in down there and a dog handy to take care of the varmit problem or penned in the run . I better make a run down there now and check things .
Have you considered a flight net across the top? We bought a flight net from Stromberg's for our large run and small coop/run area. We also used an old trampoline security net for our smaller, long, skinny (LOL) run. I haven't had any chickens "disappear" even with dogs, coyotes, raccoons, opposum, hawks, owls...you name it, we've got it. I have a friend who lives about 5 miles from us in a suburban neighborhood and lost several chickens the way you're describing. They were just there in her backyard one day and not the next. She was convinced it had to be a hawk since they were put up at night and nothing else could have gotten in during the day.
While netting may proove to be necessary , I really feel that they escaped due to my ignorance . Since its only been those just introduced and not considering it " home " yet they must have sought cover in the near by brush . Actually to either side of the pen except the front , once you get past my 6 ft mowed area there could be chickens hiding everywhere and not be seen LOL .
I was just down there for a night count and discovered the 24 oldest are sleeping outside on the ground , I guess because the sand there had been damp and shaded during the day and cooler than the coop . The oldest Ameraucana pullet was sleeping in the coop under the roost by herself , and the 6 youngest are also huddled on the ground behind the roost in their section of the coop . No signs of predators , but I set the livetrap against the fence that the main bunch are sleeping against . I'm thinking anything smaller than a barn or great horned owl could not get airborn tonight with any of the main flock , and some of them are probably too heavy for even a great horned .
