Bantam disappeared into thin air yesterday =(

My RIR vanished into their air yesterday afternoon. I walked all over the yard & the neighborhood but found nothing; then I drove around hoping to spot her- nothing. I've hung signs but I don't have any hope of seeing her again

There wasn't a single feather to be found anywhere, no body, no signs of any attack. It was mid-day so it prob would've been a hawk if anything, and I've seen a hawk take out a dove- feathers go everywhere. 'Doubtful a hawk took her without loosing a single feather or leaving a mark in the dirt. Plus, the other pullets were perfectly at ease, not nervous, spread out away from each other scratching about- so I've pretty-much ruled out predation.

This RIR was VERY nervous and never wanted to be out of sight from the others. Even if she HAD been spooked and flown (leaf-blower noise, etc), she would've come right back within five minutes. I'm positive she didn't just fly away. Not her MO. At any rate, if she had been spooked, she would've at least been back at dusk to roost. No show. She's GONE.

Our landscapers came yesterday. Less than an hr before they showed up, all 4 birds were outside. About an hr after they left, I went out to take some chopped greens and she was GONE. Not a sign of her. The last two times the LS had come, the birds had all been locked in the coop so the noise wouldn't spook them off. This time, I left them out because they've seemed to have settled into our yard & the routine. I feel guilty because I suspect the LS (who've been great & never done anything questionable EVER!)- because the first time he saw the birds he seemed very interested and asked a lot of questions, and now they were out for the first time, and the disappearance timing seems suspicious....

I called him yesterday to ask him if he may've seen what happened and he stammered around saying he only saw 2 birds. Today, unable to stop myself, I've left one final message with him basically pleading with him for any information he might have, no questions asked, and apologizing that it sounded like I was accusing him.

I feel like SUCH AN ASS, both for what happened to the poor bird & for questioning the LS guys, but something bad's happened to MY PET! She's a PET not farm poultry! I thought maybe if he really knew what happened to RIR and he heard how upset I was- that I thought of her as a pet & not just poultry- maybe he'd drive by and toss her back over into the yard or something, you know, at night or when no one's around. (I know, I'm delusional)

I know she's gone but it's really bothering me not knowing if she's out there being mistreated by someone.

How else could she have disappeared? Any other ideas?

This is a very upsetting situation all around... Thank you for any advice or suggestions....

 

Thanks for all the advice

Snake theory was interesting so I looked it up. Most snakes here hibernate if the weather is into the 60s for a few days or more. According to Google, most like their body temps to stay between 72-90. I think most would probably be hibernating by now. ? Not sure...

As for the laying- her tiny waddle hasn't really colored yet, she still looks like a gangly teen--I'd be surprised if she's a lb yet (I've been trying to fatten her up)--but I guess that's possible. How ironic would it be to loose my first chicken because she was trying to lay her/my very first egg

1 reason I panicked immediately- she's a constant nervous 'clucker' - she doesn't stop unless she's roosted- cluck cluck cluck cluck. (One reason I liked her! The other three are almost silent) I crept around all the house/property listening for her yesterday, and it was deafening silence. Maybe she's quiet if she's stuck. I hadn't thought of seeing if she was trapped somewhere...

The LS called and we had a nice chat. He sounded very empathetic and said he saw the tail end of two of them running into the house when he came around the corner with the leaf blower, but that was it.

Going to put on my galoshes and ck crevices- got a little over an hr of light left- thanks for all the good advice-

 

FOUND!! FOUND!! FOUND!!

OMG I came dragging in the house downtrodden & sloppy wet (from crawling through wet bushes and between drippy conifers for over an hour) and the phone rings- nice neighbor saw my 'missing' sign and said she just saw a scrawny red chicken dart through the neighbor's yard way down the hill!

I went out to meet the nice lady--with my net pole--and THERE MY RIR WAS!! When I did my whistle, she started to come towards me- she knew the sound! Then she panicked again and dashed. ; Took me more than 10 min running like a banshee through suburbia with a huge pole & net to corner her in some bushes and get the net over her but OMG she's GREAT!!! And SHE'S still dry even though I'm NOT! *pfft* YES I'm sure the neighbors think I'm certifiable.

She fought for a moment when I held her to me, then seemed to collapse down against me and close her eyes. I think the past 24 hrs took a lot out of her. She felt bone thin to me, but she was never big to begin with.

I'm SO RELIEVED!! AND thru this incident, I've met a nice new neighbor lady with a toddler the same age as mine who's also home a lot during the day- new friend, new playdate.

Wow. This chicken's taken me on a roller coaster ride. (Where's the "roller coaster ride chicken" animated smilie?)

She's eating like A FIEND right now and safely locked away in her coop/house area. *sigh* It's been a rough 24 hours. 'Can't BELIEVE she made it in the neighborhood for 24 hrs with the zillions of in-out cats and hawks, and prob coons, coyotes, and weasels too. She's either remarkably lucky or smarter than she appears (I'm going with the former lol).

Sorry- rambling -

I'll be sleeping well tonight, finally!

THANKS everyone! YAY!

 

Quote:GOOD IDEA- Already cracked open a bottle of wine! (AS IF I need an excuse!)