heres a mystery for you

[skeeter03]

Ok the other day i counted my girls and there was 11 - today there is 10
they are outside in a covered run all day and there is absolutely no evidence of tampering with the run let alone a hole big enough for a chicken to fit through - at night they are locked up inside the coop and there is no evidence of any disturbance in there at all - we have the dog tied on outside the coop at night to scare away the chickens boogey man
I checked every nook and cranny on the dogs side and there is nothing out of order there no holes dug or scratches or anything. the coop has about a 5inch crack along the top along the roof line and that is the only holes/openings in it. sooooo any ideas?

 

[citrusdreams]

How old are they? How big are they? How thick is the five inch crack? What kind of fencing is your run made out of? Did you check for digging under your pen fencing?

What kind of feeder do you have? Is it possible she was in the feeder? I have the type of feeder that a very enthusiastic one can fit in the feeder.

 

[skeeter03]

they are 12 weeks brown leghorns, its chicken wire fencing but nothing looks messed with - no big holes in it nor even little holes other then the ones meant to be there of course. no digging around the run - and they would have to dig like buggers to get in trust me - the wire is 2 feet deep 2 feet out with rocks on top and then covered with dirt.
I will run out and check my feeder in a minute - its a hanging 11lb one so who knows.
Like I said there is no evidence of foul play what-so-ever so we are just totaly confused and well if it is some critter or something would like to nip that in the bud before we loose more.

 

[lisahaschickens]

wow... what a mystery! I hope you find her alive! My first thought is a snake... only because I know snakes well (and love them) and I know that they can get through the most amazingly small openings and can leave no evidence behind. They are truly amazing. Of course, if a snake ate a 12-week-old pullet, it would have a big lump in its tummy and would have a much harder time getting back out of your coop... so it doesn't really seem that likely.

I've read about raccoons that reach through chicken wire and eat chickens one bite at a time THROUGH the wire (unbelievable, I know)... but that leaves behind at least feathers... if not blood and other pieces of chicken. Weasels can fit through tiny openings, but again, I would think there would be evidence.

I am hoping that you find your girl crammed into some little space and that she is fine! But, either way, please keep us informed as to what you find...

 

[skeeter03]

yea snakes are not so much of a problem here is British Columbia - maybe a rattler but they normaly not around here -just checked the feeder not in there either. but i dont think she would fit anyways - i am completely at lose as to where she would be - the only thing I can think of is that the last time we let the girls "free-range" for an hour she wandered off- how I dont know cause we watch them closely but who knows just would think she would eventually come out of hiding and go for the coop. I keep looking outside hoping that i might see her wander out from underneath something not counting on it though.

 

[Southernbelle]

I wouldn't rule out theft. The two-legged predators are the worst! Is your coop locked?

 

[bishopschickens]

I would check the edging of your wire. I have had pheasant that slip through a seemingly non existant hole in the edge where you staple the wire in the corners. If a bird puts pressure on a not so tight section it'll open up and spit them out.

 

[lisahaschickens]

do you know for sure that you were not short one bird the last time you locked them up? It sounds to me like she could have disappeared while free-ranging and that's where she is at this point. My friend's roo managed to fly over the yard fence (they finally figured that out) and disappeared for a couple of days. They thought he was dead, but then he just stumbled out of the bushes back into the yard one day... a bit beaten and bloody but alive. You never know...

 

[Namble]

I know what happenned to your chicken....you counted wrong!! LOLOLOL

 

[skeeter03]

the counting wrong has entered my mind lmao - makes one thinks she is all the way crazy instead of half.