Forgot to lock the coop.

Wouldn't hurt to look around. Predator are like thieves, you could leave it open for a month and nothing happens, then one morning get up and nothing left.

 

Whew! A happy outcome

 

I must have left my pen open for a year, we went on vacation for a week and then BAM. That was last year. In the old days, I figured as long as I'm here I can intervene. Well those predators know when you're not around.

 

I never imagined a coyote out at night casing my coop, but it is something to consider.

Glad all turned out well

 

We left our coop open last week for the first time...over night...by accident. I woke up to a very annoyed rooster. He was in the doorway crowing his head off. He wouldn't let any of the girls outside. So all I can think is they are all dead (all I can see is him crowing). I throw on my robe, run outside, and there they all standing behind the rooster giving him the stink eye. He refused to let a single hen out until I came and looked everything over. Then off he went on his day. He has been such a good rooster! He's even nice to me and the kids.

 

I grew up in the country. Dad never locked the chickens up in the coop. We would often go years without a predator strike, but with no warning, something would find them and have to be dealt with. And once something found them, it had to be dealt with. I remember one fox being real hard to get. We lost several chickens to her before Dad finally got a clear shot.

Yeah, you were lucky. You just never know when they will strike.

Definitely poke around in dark spots, in and under nests, in corners, and such, but I doubt anything made it in and stayed without doing damage. Look up in the top for snakes if it is warm enough for them to be active. If something dangerous were in there, the chickens would have probably been on the roosts away from it, not on the floor. Some things like skunks, possums, and snakes would maybe be after eggs more than chickens, but skunks and possums will harm roosting chickens.