Help! Vanishing chickens?

[Jmwah_12]

Hello all so recently something has been going on the past few weeks and today it happened again! I usually let my chickens free range but lately some have gone missing without a trace in broad daylight! I’ve lost 3 pullets and today one of my largest older hens disappeared without a trace! We got a huge run recently so we let the baby chicks and older chicks stay in there during the day with some of my older hens and a rooster to watch over them. However my dad let my other rooster and my older hen out to run around, but I am an athlete so I had to leave to practice and I didn’t get home until sunset. When I got back to put them all away I couldn’t find her at all. She always stays by her rooster and is the top hen and is always picking fights and pretty feisty. But now me nor my dad could find her at all, which is unlike her. We searched the entire yard and our neighborhood for any signs of her and nothing. Is there anything you guys know of that could be causing this? I’m not sure if anything happened when I was gone but they’re pretty loud if they see or hear something so my family would’ve heard them, but they didn’t hear anything at all so now I’m so concerned because I can’t find her.

 

[Davethebirdman]

Hello all so recently something has been going on the past few weeks and today it happened again! I usually let my chickens free range but lately some have gone missing without a trace in broad daylight! I’ve lost 3 pullets and today one of my largest older hens disappeared without a trace! We got a huge run recently so we let the baby chicks and older chicks stay in there during the day with some of my older hens and a rooster to watch over them. However my dad let my other rooster and my older hen out to run around, but I am an athlete so I had to leave to practice and I didn’t get home until sunset. When I got back to put them all away I couldn’t find her at all. She always stays by her rooster and is the top hen and is always picking fights and pretty feisty. But now me nor my dad could find her at all, which is unlike her. We searched the entire yard and our neighborhood for any signs of her and nothing. Is there anything you guys know of that could be causing this? I’m not sure if anything happened when I was gone but they’re pretty loud if they see or hear something so my family would’ve heard them, but they didn’t hear anything at all so now I’m so concerned because I can’t find her.

Stop letting them out or you may have none left.

 

[Meri Maura]

Probably a hawk or two. Don't let them out if you're planning on leaving.

 

[Jmwah_12]

Probably a hawk or two. Don't let them out if you're planning on leaving.

Yea I didn’t know they were out that’s why my dad let them out when I left and I didn’t notice until I came home and I saw the rooster running around by himself and I couldn’t find her. We have some hawks around here but I’m not sure about being able to carry her off without leaving a trace, she’s a pretty heavy girl

 

[chickentrains]

Probably a hawk. They can take a chicken and carry it away.

 

[TOR]

If its laying any eggs outside coop could of decided to go sit on them also. racoon, fox, coyote will carry a chicken away, possibly dog. Dogs usually just kill them for fun.
Whatever it is will probably come back again.

 

[cmom]

So sorry for you losses. My guess would be a fox. If you have a game camera put it up and likely you will find out what the predator is. Often times they lurk looking for an opportunity and apparently have been finding them. When you free range that is the risk you take. I don't free range anymore due to losses in the past but my birds have nice large covered pens and I have hot wires around my coops and pens. I also have several cameras on my property and see predators regularly on them mostly at night when they roam here. There have been some daytime sightings but mostly at night. This is the time of year when many predators are mating and having their young so are out more during the day. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

If she is hiding out will she come for treats? I have a certain call and I use the same treat bucket and when I call or they see the treat bucket they come running.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Based on all you said, it sounds to me like your culprit is a fox. Foxes are very sly and stealthy, usually even more so than coyotes. They watch and wait for an opportunity, then they quickly grab and run. If you happen upon the exact spot the fox grabbed a chicken, you might see a few feathers. Otherwise, yes chickens simply vanish without a trace. Please do keep your remaining chickens locked up until you figure out what to about the predator. Otherwise it will continue to hunt them one by one until they are all gone. Very sorry for your losses.

 

[NorthEastGameBirds]

There’s nothing more cunning than a fox!
Very intelligent creatures, in the UK we have wild foxes in the countryside and the scraggly ones who live out of the bins in cities and towns. They are everywhere and seriously bright creatures.