Can hens bully a new chicken into vanishing?

[Tatuana]

I got a beautiful silkie after he begun crowing. A family emergency came up two days later. My neighbor offered to babysit him since she also has chickens. I sent him over... and poof. Gone. It was 24 or 48 hours after he arrived. I wasn't thinking and didn't have the sitter separate him. When I left the hens were kind of harassing my silkie. When I went to check there were no signs of him anywhere. There have been no animal attacks in the area... ever, really. Non of her chickens have ever vanished before, or since.

is it possible the hens bullied him into leaving? I checked the bottom of the fences and didn't see any feathers. There MIGHT have been some from a fight maybe, but I wasn't thinking to get a picture. I'm pretty sure I can rule out animal attack. While he was here he just hung out in a specific area and wasn't really into flying. The only thing I can think of is that the hens scared him somewhere.

I feel really, really horrible. We're due for a hard freeze tonight and I'm terrified that he's stuck somewhere, slowly dying. He's been missing several days now, so I don't hold out hope. I feel terrible and want to avoid this in the future. (Clearly separate them and introduce them slowly, but if her hens are bullies I don't want to send over any more anyway)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most chickens will attack unknown birds. That's why it's important to keep them separated for a while. I've had meek roosters stick their heads in a corner or hole, and stay there for a while. He could be tucked in somewhere.

How secure is the neighbors pen?

 

[Tatuana]

Most chickens will attack unknown birds. That's why it's important to keep them separated for a while. I've had meek roosters stick their heads in a corner or hole, and stay there for a while. He could be tucked in somewhere.

How secure is the neighbors pen?

She didn't lock them up that night. She usually lets hers run around at night, but they have a coop. Her yard is pretty well fenced in though. There's only one hole he could have got out. Nobody saw him in the area. Her hens were making noises and jumping at him when I left. Had I been in the right mind frame I would *never* have done that.

I feel horrible. It's a hard freeze tonight. I wish I had kept him here, but it was a literal life and death situation. A family member got sick and I had to be there for them while we worked through it. I couldn't think well enough to keep an eye on the chicken.


There's a ground level deck it's possible he got under. There's clear signs of the other chickens. We put food under there and cooped her chickens. If the food vanishes then hopefully he is still okay.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You did what you thought was right at the time. My guess would be something got him, but you never know. Definitely keep me updated.