A while back we lost a Wyandotte pullet to a possum because I forgot to close the upper coop door. A couple weeks later, we lost her sister during broad daylight. No feathers, no body, nothing. I figured hawk or cat. A few days ago, I noticed that one of our two silver duckwing OEGB missing. Again, broad daylight. I always check when I close them up, to make sure they are all accounted for.
This evening, I didn't get home before dark, and my children "didn't think" to close the coops. All birds were in the yard when I left. When I found out the kids didn't close up,I went out to do head check and door closing.
The younger game cockrel always roosts in the bush behind the coop, so I knew to find him there. While I was retrieving him, I noticed movement. The Turkin was on the roof of the run. I collected her and put her in the coop. Then my daughter noticed movement in another bush. On the way to that shrub, we encountered our Spangled OE pullet. The one in the bush was our black OE pullet.
After counting heads, we are missing one Silkie cockrel, one game bantam pullet, one EE and one bantam Cochin. No feathers, no bodies. The only thing different, other than them missing, is that several chickens are roosting on different roosts than their norm. There are three on the roost no one has ever used at night, seven are crowded on to a roost that usually only has three, hardly anyone is on the three main roosts, the rest are in their normal spots. Both other pens have everyone accounted for.
I'm hoping that they are just hiding and we will see them at dawn. The birds that were still out, were not the usual ones. (Usually the two lowest ranked roos)
I know that any predator could have taken them, but four? With no evidence? Two are almost a year old, the others are 5 months.
Thoughts? (Other than "Your children let you down" )
This evening, I didn't get home before dark, and my children "didn't think" to close the coops. All birds were in the yard when I left. When I found out the kids didn't close up,I went out to do head check and door closing.
The younger game cockrel always roosts in the bush behind the coop, so I knew to find him there. While I was retrieving him, I noticed movement. The Turkin was on the roof of the run. I collected her and put her in the coop. Then my daughter noticed movement in another bush. On the way to that shrub, we encountered our Spangled OE pullet. The one in the bush was our black OE pullet.
After counting heads, we are missing one Silkie cockrel, one game bantam pullet, one EE and one bantam Cochin. No feathers, no bodies. The only thing different, other than them missing, is that several chickens are roosting on different roosts than their norm. There are three on the roost no one has ever used at night, seven are crowded on to a roost that usually only has three, hardly anyone is on the three main roosts, the rest are in their normal spots. Both other pens have everyone accounted for.
I'm hoping that they are just hiding and we will see them at dawn. The birds that were still out, were not the usual ones. (Usually the two lowest ranked roos)
I know that any predator could have taken them, but four? With no evidence? Two are almost a year old, the others are 5 months.
Thoughts? (Other than "Your children let you down" )
