Four chickens gone

[spooklaw]

We lost four yesterday. Went to let them out this morning, and four were gone. No sign of anything in the coop. Checked around no feathers or any signs they were killed. But they were scared off before dark, never even went in last night .

 

[biggin]

Not sure how your coop/run is setup or what size chickens you have, but sounds like you have owls. They usually take them off to eat them.

 

[spooklaw]

We leave them out during the day. The coop is an old dog lot, with chicken wire ran all the around and on the ground and on top. Golden reds and black sexlinks is what kind they are. I would say average size. Do you think they would take four at one time? That is what is so puzzling.

 

[bigoakhunter]

I would think chicken wire on top ,while not strong, would stop most owls and hawks from coming into run. Do you have any big gaps?

 

[cluckcluck42]

I'm sorry for your loss. I had birds go missing without a trace. I hope you figure out what it is.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Hum. So they were inside your run, which you say is enclosed in wire? Or were they out free-ranging? It's perplexing if something got them out of your run with wire all around it, without any sign of blood. Really sorry for your loss. Hope you figure out what happened.

OH, just occurred to me. Is it possible you have a two-legged predator that came looking for dinner?

 

[spooklaw]

No gaps. Thank you. I hope we figure this out too. I know we have coyotes, but never seen a hawk or an owl. I know that does not mean they are not there. Just very strange!

 

[spooklaw]

They are free range during the day. Cooped up at night. But the coop of course is always open during the day until dark.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

If they were inside a run and everything I find it strange that there was no blood or feathers. It could be owls but 4 at once...? Are you sure they arent just hiding somewhere?

 

[spooklaw]

We have been looking some places. They are free range during the day. We are thinking something came through and scared/ran them off. We really don't know. We have no clue what happen. We just know that they all go into the coop together at night. But this morning only 5 were in there. So I guess it is safe to say there were gone before dusk yesterday.