HELP!!

[sdm1908]

Someone please help! One of my babies has gone missing and we can't find her or any trace of her!! Could it be a snake? I saw a cat by the gate, but it didn't have any feathers or any sign! Just please, does anyone have any advice?!
ALSO, my other chicken is freaking out and I only had two, so it's even worse.
Should I get another chick?
My other chicken is 8 weeks old and all I can get is a chick that's 3 weeks old.
Will that be a good friend for my 8 week old pullet?!

 

[6of6chicks]

It's hard to comment on what took your chick without knowing more about your setup. Were they in a coop? What kind of predator protection do you have? 8 weeks seems a little big for a snake to swallow whole (?) - don't know without knowing what type of chickens you have.

So sorry about your loss! It's awful no matter what predator it was.

 

[sdm1908]

It's hard to comment on what took your chick without knowing more about your setup. Were they in a coop? What kind of predator protection do you have? 8 weeks seems a little big for a snake to swallow whole (?) - don't know without knowing what type of chickens you have.

So sorry about your loss! It's awful no matter what predator it was.

The chicken that was eaten was a leghorn. I let them both out an hour later than I normally do (I have a fenced area where they free roam.) and one of my chicks was okay but the leghorn was gone. We didn't see any feathers or anything. I'm getting three new baby chicks for her to at least have some company

 

[thomasboyle]

Very sorry for your losses. Unfortunately it could be one of many predators - snakes, raccoons, hawks, cats, bobcats, cougars. I have two trail cameras covering my chicken yard, so if something does happen, hopefully I will have a picture of it, and be able to prepare for the next attack.

Chickens like to be part of a flock, so I would definitely get one or two more chickens. Often time you can get older chickens on Craigslist, so you may not have to start over with chicks if you don't want to.

 

[sdm1908]

Very sorry for your losses. Unfortunately it could be one of many predators - snakes, raccoons, hawks, cats, bobcats, cougars. I have two trail cameras covering my chicken yard, so if something does happen, hopefully I will have a picture of it, and be able to prepare for the next attack.

Chickens like to be part of a flock, so I would definitely get one or two more chickens. Often time you can get older chickens on Craigslist, so you may not have to start over with chicks if you don't want to.

I got three new chicks and my pullet has taken them in as her own!

 

[sdm1908]

Very sorry for your losses. Unfortunately it could be one of many predators - snakes, raccoons, hawks, cats, bobcats, cougars. I have two trail cameras covering my chicken yard, so if something does happen, hopefully I will have a picture of it, and be able to prepare for the next attack.

Chickens like to be part of a flock, so I would definitely get one or two more chickens. Often time you can get older chickens on Craigslist, so you may not have to start over with chicks if you don't want to.

We found her!!!!!

 

[tmulleady]

YAY!!!!! So glad you found her

I would be devastated if I lost one of my girls or my little devil duck.

 

[DianaMallory]

I get so sad when I read these having been here myself. My last flock I had full success with did not lose one chick! But I went over board on the predator protection! I only let them out when I was with them to free range! The rest of the time they were in there coop and run. That was secured with HARD WARE CLOTH! No chicken wire! And they were locked up tight at night with a motion light on their coop! I had to give that flock up to care for aliening parents. I am in the process of starting a new flock and I will take the same precaution with the new coop and run. I buried my hardware cloth 6 to 8 inches into the ground all the way around the run. Hardware cloth and screens on all my windows! I cut as much of the risk out as I can. I have coopers hawks, raccoons, fox, coyotes, dogs, cats, snakes, weasels, mink and possums, and yes I live in the woods. I am sure I left some out. So if your missing my point, it is predator proof your girls and you won't have to go through this again!

 

[thomasboyle]

We found her!!!!!

Where did you find her? Its been quite a while!

 

[sdm1908]

Our neighbors had her for weeks and were taking care of her!!!