helpp

[LaQuail]

I have/had 5 rirs about a yr old free around my yard for about 5 mths now with no problems at all. I have/had 3 silkie and 3 dominic chicks about 4 mths old in a rabbit cage floor 1/2" x 1/2" and sides 1" holes. I feed them before dark every day. Yesterday all my chickens were here and fine. This after noon I went feed them 2 adult rirs missing. 1 silkie and 2 dominic missing. Little to no feathers on the ground under there cages and no remains. No signs of them being pulled through the cage. I have a few cats that been around for awhile, but never messed with them before. Is there something else that got to them or are the cats all of a sudden after them? It has me puzzled how something got the chicks from the cage and not leave feathers all over the place or bones or anything. Help asap. We had a rir that was attached to my wife. Sat on her laps followed her everywhere and is now missing my wife is very upset. Should I start shooting cats?

 

[sunflour]

I don't know what got them, but don't think the cats would leave no trace at all. Sounds more like a fox, or something that carries their prey off.

So sorry about your loses. It would devastate me to lose even one of my girls.

Hoping someone with similar experience will offer help, so you can avoid more losses.

 

[Howlet]

yeah... cats wouldnt be your "Best Bid" on the predator that took down apparently 4 standards without a trace. cats are mostly known for feather pulling and leaving a HUUUUGGGEEEE mess behind. especially if they were 1yr olds, they would have been to big for an average cat to carry off one efficiently, let alone 4. id have to do with above and say a fox. they kill with stealth and rarely only leave a track, which can understandably be confused with cat or maybe smaller-dog to an untrained eye

 

[sunflour]

So many lost without a trace, including those in cages.

Consider human theft instead of animal predator?

 

[LaQuail]

The ones free ranging I can see how they had no trace but the ones in cages are the ones that puzzled me. There was nothing at all left in cages. Had a few fetters from my white silkie under it and and a few 100 ft from the cage but that's all. I live in the country with Noone on side of me and just a passerby wouldn't even know I had chickens nor do I think they could have gotten past my house without my lab not wanting to kill them.