Disappearing Chicks.. Who is the culprit?

[PurpleCArTires]

Ok, here is the general layout of the coop

From the entrance (this is the silkie/grower area leading out to covered run). The door/hole to the yard was open all the time, but I ordered an automatic door which should be here and installed tomorrow. I've been manually blocking it off at night in the meantime.


The chick area is right next to it. Today I built the box, it used to be totally open with a door to enter. But its now a large 8x2ish box total encased in hardware cloth. Tomorrow I will finish the flip top lids.



Last is the layer area with an automatic door leading out to the large .5 acre run.



Sorry for the darkish pics, the chickens were going to bed LOL

And much to my surprise, the one I thought disappeared last night, I found in the woods behind the coop this evening. I heard him yelling because he was lost and went to investigate. He is unharmed, Thank God. So now, I am only down two and still no trace of them.

I'd love to know how the heck he got out there, when the whole coop was locked down and there was no way for him to escape from the chick pen.

 

[SilverBirds]

And much to my surprise, the one I thought disappeared last night, I found in the woods behind the coop this evening.

Now, there is a whole new possibility. Maybe the other two got out and got lost? Possible they wandered out to far and got swooped Maybe you don't have a predator at all. Are there any possible escape ways for little silkies?

 

[PurpleCArTires]

Now, there is a whole new possibility. Maybe the other two got out and got lost? Possible they wandered out to far and got swooped Maybe you don't have a predator at all. Are there any possible escape ways for little silkies?

the only thing I can think is the first one must of ran out when i was feeding them.

The second one couldn't have escaped the chicken pen, and even if he did, i kept the main door closed so he would have been trapped in the walkway area and I would have seen him.

The one who got out last night was the smallest one (only 1 week old), and the only small crack in the chick pen was about 1/2 inch, so he would have had to squeeze like crazy to slip into the silkie/grower pen and then out the door when I opened it this morning. Then he would have had to escape the covered run and through the second fence into the woods. it would have been quite the adventure, but not impossible I suppose.

Since I built the box today, there will be absolutely no way for them to escape. I brought the smallest chicks back inside for tonight and wont put them back out until the box is totally complete.

I hope its a case of escape artists and not a predator. I would be so pleased to know nothing is breaking in and eating my babies.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

Well, I am 95% sure its a Rat! The Killer returned last night. It chewed a hole through the wood I had in a small gap under the new door. Killed the chick (in a different pen, not the brooder box). I found its body right by the chew hole, like the chick wouldn't fit when it tried to drag it out. It took the chicks head with it.

I also found another hole chewed through a gap I had sealed with spray foam before. I went back and screwed a thick piece of wood over the gap today and used concrete blocks to seal the gap under the door.

I am setting rat traps tonight inside and outside with some peanut butter. I hope to catch this A-Hole. Its freakin persistent as crap. We dont have food out inside the coop for it to even want, but its got a taste for Chicken now... so I will bet he will keep coming back for more.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

On the plus side, all my tiny chicks are safe inside their enclosed brooder box

 

[McChooky]

On the plus side, all my tiny chicks are safe inside their enclosed brooder box

Rats can tunnel into a run or coop covered completely in 1/2" hardware cloth if you don't have an apron around the bottom.Any predator that enter the tunnels looking for baby rats to eat will find your baby chicks(weasels and snakes).I would search very carefully for any tunnels and flood them with a water hose and fill with a bag of cement.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

Rats can tunnel into a run or coop covered completely in 1/2" hardware cloth if you don't have an apron around the bottom.Any predator that enter the tunnels looking for baby rats to eat will find your baby chicks(weasels and snakes).I would search very carefully for any tunnels and flood them with a water hose and fill with a bag of cement.

My floor is concrete, I would hope it can't tunnel though lol.

It used to be an old bathroom (my property was a campground). I will look for old piping that might not be filled in. I do have two drains in the floor, but those that those metal pipe traps over them. The dude before I lived here filled in everything else with concrete, but I'll check there.

I have a metal roof with two old vent pipes. Do you think the rat can scale metal (upsidedown) and be climbing in and out of these holes?

 

[PurpleCArTires]

BTW, I saw him last night when I went to do my night check. He is a BIG effin Rat! Well over a foot long . I set rat traps last night, and secured all my babies and younger chickens inside my brooder box. I'll brought the youngest back in the house. I hope I find a dead rat this morning!

 

[McChooky]

They climb up the walls and thru vents and sewer lines just to name a few. They can climb upside down on mesh but not metal.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

I just read about using baking soda to poison them. I am going to mix up some of that also! It's WAR now