Coming home to an old life style.

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Chickengirlhurder

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Oct 26, 2018
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Hey! I spent 12 years growing up on a farm. My family used to raise chickens, along with geese, ducks, a couple of pigs, (4H) horses and a big bunch of cows.
One day I suggested raising chicken. My Darlin and son were excited and on board. Toward the end of the season, we were left with "whatever was left". We ended up with four girls and two obnoxious roosters.
Living within a small town, we were forced to find homes for the boys. Its O K for the dogs around the block to BARK all night long, But God forbid the roosters crow during the day, thats Ok, nobody complains about that!
In the past year, we lost our favorite girl due to a illness, but we figured it was a matter of time with her. With the girls, Red was in a broody mode, so we got a couple of chicks and put under her. One drowned, that left Clem. Then Red went broody, AGAIN! So we picked up 4 more chickes and shoved under her.
As the flock goes, two of the babies disappeared, one at a time, and while I was a few feet away with in 10 of my seeing them. Today, Clem who was over 6 months old, is no longer around.
So my question is, what steals chickens in broad daylight, with no remains, no alerts, in a well fenced yard. The dog can't even get out, the chickens don't get out, but something bad has happened, and I don't know where to start to protect the girls that are left.
We have them for the eggs, and have no plans on eating them, so nothing else should either!
 

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Chickengirlhurder said:
Hey! I spent 12 years growing up on a farm. My family used to raise chickens, along with geese, ducks, a couple of pigs, (4H) horses and a big bunch of cows.
One day I suggested raising chicken. My Darlin and son were excited and on board. Toward the end of the season, we were left with "whatever was left". We ended up with four girls and two obnoxious roosters.
Living within a small town, we were forced to find homes for the boys. Its O K for the dogs around the block to BARK all night long, But God forbid the roosters crow during the day, thats Ok, nobody complains about that!
In the past year, we lost our favorite girl due to a illness, but we figured it was a matter of time with her. With the girls, Red was in a broody mode, so we got a couple of chicks and put under her. One drowned, that left Clem. Then Red went broody, AGAIN! So we picked up 4 more chickes and shoved under her.
As the flock goes, two of the babies disappeared, one at a time, and while I was a few feet away with in 10 of my seeing them. Today, Clem who was over 6 months old, is no longer around.
So my question is, what steals chickens in broad daylight, with no remains, no alerts, in a well fenced yard. The dog can't even get out, the chickens don't get out, but something bad has happened, and I don't know where to start to protect the girls that are left.
We have them for the eggs, and have no plans on eating them, so nothing else should either!
Click to expand...
Egg shaped welcome.jpg

Day time predators do that--Fox, hawk and etc.

Check the learning center there is a lot of information there.

You can also start a thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/predators-and-pests.13/
 
O K, So How do I protect my girls from something unknown during the daylight hours? I don't know where to start looking. They are well protected at night. I made sure of that, because I built the Hen house myself, and most likely went overkill when I did, but, nothing can get at them at night!
Still, I feel helpless when I'm in the yard and they are there, then POOF, one more is gone only a few feet from where I'm working.
 
Chickengirlhurder said:
O K, So How do I protect my girls from something unknown during the daylight hours? I don't know where to start looking. They are well protected at night. I made sure of that, because I built the Hen house myself, and most likely went overkill when I did, but, nothing can get at them at night!
Still, I feel helpless when I'm in the yard and they are there, then POOF, one more is gone only a few feet from where I'm working.
Click to expand...
electrified fence for most of them. If it is hawks then netting works.

My guess would be a fox.
 
Welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
I think pictures of the area your chickens are in will help. How frustrating that you have no other signs and heard nothing. Usually when a predator takes a chicken the others start screaming and running for their lives. Do you have woods surrounding any part of where you keep the chickens?
 

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