Help missing chicken!

[faith5]

I have 7 chickens free ranged on my property. One has been missing for 2 days now. I was unsure if she was killed by a fox or was laying on some eggs until I found a bunch of her feathers in one spot on the ground. After seeing this I think she was killed by a fox, but then again I am still unsure. I am pretty good with raising chickens, but I’ve never had this happen before. What do y’all think?

 

[faith5]

3 years ago we had a fox problem in our neighborhood. A female fed her kits on the local poultry. Mine are locked up and only allowed out in a electric wire protected run (and metal clad coop) so I had 0 losses but I did find piles of feathers like the ones in the picture near our pond which was across the road where she had her den under a neighbor's cabin.

I agree with @TheOddOneOut, could also be a hawk as I have found feathers in a circle in our pasture where hawks have taken out a water fowl during migration.

But I wouldn't discount a fox 100% either.

Either way I would lock everybody up in a coop/run until you figure out what happened. Either predator now knows where the buffet table is and will be back for seconds.

So sorry, but it looks like your girl went to keep another animal alive or feed it's babies.

Hawks and foxes are a pretty big issue where I live, so that seems about right! Thanks for giving me a heads up! I will for sure keep a better look out on my other chickens!

 

[faith5]

Hawk, I think. Fox kills have more..well..carnage.

Good to know! Thanks

 

[microchick]

No problem. You might want to put up a game camera and see if you can catch a glimpse of a 4 legged predator.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I have 7 chickens free ranged on my property. One has been missing for 2 days now. I was unsure if she was killed by a fox or was laying on some eggs until I found a bunch of her feathers in one spot on the ground. After seeing this I think she was killed by a fox, but then again I am still unsure. I am pretty good with raising chickens, but I’ve never had this happen before. What do y’all think?
View attachment 2177003

Hawk, I think. Fox kills have more..well..carnage.

 

[microchick]

3 years ago we had a fox problem in our neighborhood. A female fed her kits on the local poultry. Mine are locked up and only allowed out in a electric wire protected run (and metal clad coop) so I had 0 losses but I did find piles of feathers like the ones in the picture near our pond which was across the road where she had her den under a neighbor's cabin.

I agree with @TheOddOneOut, could also be a hawk as I have found feathers in a circle in our pasture where hawks have taken out a water fowl during migration.

But I wouldn't discount a fox 100% either.

Either way I would lock everybody up in a coop/run until you figure out what happened. Either predator now knows where the buffet table is and will be back for seconds.

So sorry, but it looks like your girl went to keep another animal alive or feed it's babies.

 

[faith5]

No problem. You might want to put up a game camera and see if you can catch a glimpse of a 4 legged predator.

Great idea! Thanks