Help! Missing flock

[shoblitz]

When I left for the Farmers Market today at 3 I had 12 Cornish Crosses, 15 random meat pullets, 4 BLR Wyandotte pullets, and 11 hens. They free range during the day. I live in a big clearing in the middle of the woods. When I came home this evening around 8pm (still light here) I can only find 3 cornish crosses, 8 meat pullets,1 BLR pullets, and am also missing one of my hens!!!! The meat pullets I have left I found way up in the top of a tree (first time for that). The Cornish crosses were hidden in a bush and the hens were hiding in the coop. I checked all over the clearing and the only thing I found was a pile of about 5 feathers with blood on the nibs. No other sign of anything whatsoever!! Any ideas of what could have caused this mass disappearance? Thanks

 

[ericmcginn5]

have you always let them out all day or is that new. could be a animal did you see any bodys or feathers all over the yard

 

[shoblitz]

Yeah they've been out all day every day since the end of May. No blood and only one small clump of feathers other than the random single feathers they leave around.

 

[ericmcginn5]

thats weird is there a lot of places for them to get away like how far away is you closest nabor

 

[shoblitz]

Closest neighbor is probably about 1/8mile but that's my moms. Between the two of us we have the surrounding 50 acres. Just strange so many of them without any trace. All in the same afternoon!

 

[ericmcginn5]

ok if i were you i would ask your nabors if you have any other in a mile rang. luckly they normaly stay in groups so if you find one there is proble mmore near by. i would do lots of searching tho and if you have a extra coop open it up and put food and watter in it and hope for the best. mine have always goten back in the ope at sunset.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I would think that a predator of some sort got one and panicked the others. Since you found your remaining birds in groups scattered around. Hopefully the others just got a bit further. Good luck and I hope they find their way home.-

 

[shmccarthy]

It sounds like a fox. I know from experience that a fox will attack in broad daylight and leave little to no evidence (ie a pile of feathers). They take as many as they can and bury and hide the bodies to eat later. It is very likely that happened and some birds could be hiding elsewhere.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Any update on the flock? Hope you found at least some safe and sound!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Even just a few feathers with a bit of blood is a clear indication of an attack. Fox or coyote would probably top the list. Dogs often slaughter as many as they can catch and leave the bodies scattered about. You have something that came in, grabbed and ran, the survivors will hide and not come out for a long time. Just keep in mind that whatever has found your chickens is going to keep coming back as long as there is such an easy food source.