Chick was killed in my yard... What killed it?

[ZaneyMama]

My husband went to put the chickens back in the coop for the evening tonight and couldn't find our two chicks that were hatched 8 weeks ago.

We finally found a bunch of feathers and what looks like vertebrae from one of them. Eventually, the other one came out of hiding and is safe and sound in the coop.

All we found was a few soft body feathers and a couple pieces of bone.

What could have done this? It was in broad daylight and I was home, but I wasn't watching close enough, I guess. I saw a seagull flying around afterwards, which is unusual, since we live in Colorado.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lbrad7]

At 8 weeks age, just about anything could have been the culprit...from a rat to the neighborhood cat. Since it was during the day it could have been a bird of prey, coon, fox, coyote, dog...just about anything. Most of those predators normally carry the bird off to eat them but they are so small at that age I think they would have just finished it off on the spot. Lucky your other was ok!

I would set a live trap out and see what you catch! Whatever it was will be back....count on it!

 

[ZaneyMama]

Yeah, I guess I was dumb to let the little chicks out to forage with the flock. I definitely won't be doing that from now on!

We have dogs that probably scare things away when they're out, but we can't have the dogs out at the same time as the chickens. I'm not sure how I'd set a trap and not catch the dogs, but I'd like to. Any ideas?

 

[Lbrad7]

I have a huge open lot that is fenced in attached to my coop so when I close the birds up for the night, I can set the trap out in the fenced in area of my lot without the worry of catching dogs or one of my chickens. If you keep your dogs in the house at night.

I would put them up for the evening then go out and set the trap. Check it the next morning before you put your dogs out. I think that would be the only way you could do it without catching your pooch.

Good luck to you!

 

[Pidgey104]

My quess would be a cat. when our cat got one of my 5 week olds and ate everything but I found bones and feathers and a leg