First Loss...predator?

[okallthis4eggs]

I agree with amberflea. I'll just come out and say it. I think the dog was involved. Sorry hope i'm wrong.

 

[heybarb]

UPDATE: Well, I know for sure that the dog wasn't involved...exact same thing happened on Friday and we were camping with our dog. We left Friday morning - everyone was there - and our neighbor came to put the chickens up Friday night and one was missing. A quick scan of the yard and he found a circle of buff feathers. It was one of our new buff orpingtons.

When we got home last night my daughter wanted to bury what was left...no organs this time, but our dog found it's head with no skin or feathers. The neighbor who was locking up the chickens thinks it was a very brave large hawk - he saw one on Thursday afternoon flying over our fields where the wheat had been harvested. Or he said it might be a coyote or fox, which he traps for a living. He volunteered to set a trap for us if we wanted him too...if it's a hawk he said there wasn't much we could do.

Although the neighbor has asked multiple times over the years if he could trap on our property, we've always said no...and now I want to say yes. He said he's trapped 41 coyotes on the surrounding property since January...maybe our property is turning into a sanctuary...which isn't good - especially for the chickens. UGH!!! I hate this part of owning chickens...we haven't even gotten any eggs yet!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

If a hawk ate the whole chick it probably doubled in size. A lot of hawks are smaller than a full grown chicken