Chicken Escape and No Roosting

[Creteloc]

Yes, there is. I think I figured out what happened and I've already nailed an entire floor to the structure in preparation for new hens in the Spring. I wanted pullets but looks like I'll be raising chicks again. At least that way I can hold them again and have them cuddly. It's been really hard on my girls. Both of them cried themselves to sleep. I wish I'd known it was a predator and not an escape artist the first time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm so sorry.

I'm sure you're girls are very sad, but maybe the prospect of having babies in the spring will give them something to look forward to. Have you started to think about what breeds you will be getting or where you might get them from? Maybe pull up a couple of hatcheries like My Pet Chicken or Meyer Hatchery and have your girls help you start looking. Better yet, Meyer Hatchery will send a catalog so they will have something to physically hold while looking at chickens, they can also read the descriptions and tell you about each one.
Just a thought, I hope all goes well for you.

 

[Creteloc]

We have been looking. One of them wants another Silver or Gold laced Wyandotte and the other has her heart set on a Speckled Sussex. I didn't see any Sussex's here for sale so I may have to order online, which seems scary.

 

[Creteloc]

As a side note, isn't it weird that there's no sign of them. There are no feathers around, there's no blood. When I thought the first escaped, the second was grazing on the neighbor's lawn calmly. She disappeared the next day without a trace also.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We have been looking. One of them wants another Silver or Gold laced Wyandotte and the other has her heart set on a Speckled Sussex. I didn't see any Sussex's here for sale so I may have to order online, which seems scary.

As a side note, isn't it weird that there's no sign of them. There are no feathers around, there's no blood. When I thought the first escaped, the second was grazing on the neighbor's lawn calmly. She disappeared the next day without a trace also.

I can understand it might seem scary ordering chicks online. I usually order from Meyer Hatchery. I've had no problems. I think around April they allow "small" orders to be shipped. I've heard/read of horror stories of chicks arriving dead, etc. but so far, have not had anything like that happen. I believe the distance the chicks have to travel makes a difference as well. Since Meyer is in Ohio and I'm in NC my chicks usually arrive the next day (overnight) so they haven't experience much shipping stress. They also have heat packs in the box. There's lot of threads here about peoples hatchery preferences so you may want to read up. The biggest thing is to be ready and set for when they arrive, have your brooder warm (I use the Mama Heating Pad method), also have the water and food already out, etc.

As for your predator - it may not be strange to not find any signs (blood/feathers). It depends on what came along. Dog, Fox, Coyote can easily carry off a full grown bird with little to no sign. At 7wks your girl was not that large so, imho, even something like a Racoon could have taken her with no sign. You may want to consider fencing in a place for them and adding electric fencing as a defense. If a predator took these 2, it will be back for more.

I'm very sorry.

 

[Creteloc]

Good call. We have a full fence being installed on Dec 11th. I have flood lights being put in also. Once that fence is installed, I can electrify it to keep predators out. I'm hoping the fence guys come sooner, but that's the date they set.