I beg some advise or answers. I am a first time owner ( little over a year now). My small flock of 7 , 6 hens w. one roo. We have 5.5 acres here but the hens stay exclusively on the one acre around the coop... THey have freedom ( free range) to go all over the place. It is a small subdivision w. woods backed up to the rear of property. I have not ever had a prob with neighborhood dogs or critters. I keep them locked in coop at night. Our entire property -- 5.5 ac. is fenced with hog wire no top. We do have an occasional hawk get mice out of the barn but never ventures near our house or near coop, that I have seen. Ok, well now the chicken part..... my SLW is in the 2 week of molt. she is 1/2 feathered. She has always been a hardy eater, but since entering molt, she would not be the first to eat and would stay back until the others finished. i have tried supplementing with protien ( tuna, her fav...) but she did not act enthusiasic about it either. her tail is mostly gone, but had been droopy over the last few days. Poop was fine. well this afternoon she is GONE. I cant find her anywhere. Hubby and I searched the entire neighborhood. NOTHING. She had a saddle on her to help with roo issues.... it is nowhere. I do not see that a hawk could have taken her for she was a hefty gal. I would say 6-7 lbs easy. There were no feathers anywhere, no remains, no signs of anything wrong. we have searched under the barn, woods, neighbors yards, everywhere.
Would she have 'gone off ' on her own if she were not feeling good? would she be 'caught up' some where by that saddle????? it was fitting properly , i do not know how it could have gotten hung up. She did not come to roost.
Roo ususally goes NUTZO when one is out of his sight. ( I was at work all day so I was not here to witness any commotion, if there was one.....) any hints to where my hen may be? help please. is this a molting behavior or a predator issue? clues?
thank you for taking time to answer and read my problem.
Would she have 'gone off ' on her own if she were not feeling good? would she be 'caught up' some where by that saddle????? it was fitting properly , i do not know how it could have gotten hung up. She did not come to roost.
thank you for taking time to answer and read my problem.
