Hawk stole 3 chicks?

[webgranny77]

Ok, so I had 3 chicks almost 4 weeks old. I was outside working on the coop, went inside for an hour to start dinner, went back outside to secure coop for the night, and all 3 chicks are gone. Not a feather, not a drop of blood, nothing. I'm guessing a hawk squeezed through a small hole (I just cut the wire to cover it) The chicks have only been outside for 3 days and I have a piece of board I usually use to cover it. Would a hawk take all three chicks? My little dog was in the backyard and I know what you're thinking, but there was not even a feather! There is no way she could have completely devoured 3 chicks and not made a mess. No way. The picture shows the holes in the door which I've been putting a piece of board over.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Never had a hawk go in the coop to eat my birds. We have plenty of hawks around here. When a hawk eats mine there is either a huge pile of feathers or that plus a bird with it's side eaten out. Yesterday there were two hawks sitting right in the trees by my coop.

 

[nuts4chickens]

Could it have been a snake? We had a snake get in our coop last year and he picked off a few chicks every other day or so until we finally caught him! We couldn't figure out where they were disappearing to until we caught him in the act. It was a 6ft rat snake!

 

[Vamvakas]

Could be Norway rats

 

[webgranny77]

Well, I don't think it could have been a snake.. I live in the city and have only seen a couple of snakes in the 18+ years I've been here and they were pretty small. Or rats. Thanks for the suggestions but I don't think so. The only thing that makes sense to me is a bird of prey. I did watch a coupe of youtube videos of hawks getting into coops. Whatever it is.. I'm going to be more prepared next go around, for starters I will get a camera and cover that hole.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Blue darter hawks (google it) will steal chicks faster than Tyson can hatch them, especially if a pair of blue darters (sharp shinned etc hawks) have chicks to feed.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Is it breeding season for hawks? The red tail we have I noticed has a friend

 

[Sparrow]

Yes it is raptor breeding season, but a Cooper's Hawk is a more likely candidate to have stolen your babies than a Redtail. They are bird specialists and more comfortable in tighter spaces when hunting. Then again, considering the circumstances, the most likely culprit is not a bird at all.

 

[Sparrow]

Could it have been a snake? We had a snake get in our coop last year and he picked off a few chicks every other day or so until we finally caught him! We couldn't figure out where they were disappearing to until we caught him in the act. It was a 6ft rat snake!

That would have been a great day for me...stopped the chick deaths..and caught a new pet! lol

 

[centrarchid]

Show better pictures of your coop from multiple angles. I agree, your description is not consistent with any hawk and Coopers would be first guess when hawk and small chicks involved.