BanaB
Chirping
I suspect there's an answer in this thread, but 557 pages is a lot to dig through.
I have 14 week old chicks. They've been a delight! I've enjoyed having them more than I ever thought possible. Predators have been a concern of mine so I built a tight, predator-proof coop. Free range fencing felt like more than I could physically handle (rethinking that now), so they've been free ranging for several weeks. I check on them several times a day. I was delighted last week to discover that one of the chicks is a rooster, because I know roosters are protective of the hens and he's good natured. So far.
Today (rainy and cold) I brought them out some oatmeal. They spend most of their time in thick brush fairly close to the coop. I called, and none of them came. (unusual) I started searching for them and heard one, and discovered the rooster alone in the coop. He accompanied me as I went looking for the rest, crowing as I called for them.
I found a dead hen, partially eaten. Then another came out of nearby bushes. She seemed okay. I found the rest huddled together in dense brush.
I put them all in the coop and looked for the others, but have been unable to find bodies or other evidence. I'm missing 4 hens total.
I'm planning to go out to look for more evidence later.
I'd appreciate any advice/suggestions/information about what to do next. I realized as I'm typing that I didn't check the other hens for injury. I was rattled. So, I'm going out now.
Is there any way to find out what did this? It happened late morning. I live in Upstate NY. I think I've read that spring and fall are bad times for predators.
I'm definitely looking into movable fencing. I'm so sad. I never expected to get so attached.
I have 14 week old chicks. They've been a delight! I've enjoyed having them more than I ever thought possible. Predators have been a concern of mine so I built a tight, predator-proof coop. Free range fencing felt like more than I could physically handle (rethinking that now), so they've been free ranging for several weeks. I check on them several times a day. I was delighted last week to discover that one of the chicks is a rooster, because I know roosters are protective of the hens and he's good natured. So far.
Today (rainy and cold) I brought them out some oatmeal. They spend most of their time in thick brush fairly close to the coop. I called, and none of them came. (unusual) I started searching for them and heard one, and discovered the rooster alone in the coop. He accompanied me as I went looking for the rest, crowing as I called for them.
I found a dead hen, partially eaten. Then another came out of nearby bushes. She seemed okay. I found the rest huddled together in dense brush.
I put them all in the coop and looked for the others, but have been unable to find bodies or other evidence. I'm missing 4 hens total.
I'm planning to go out to look for more evidence later.
I'd appreciate any advice/suggestions/information about what to do next. I realized as I'm typing that I didn't check the other hens for injury. I was rattled. So, I'm going out now.
Is there any way to find out what did this? It happened late morning. I live in Upstate NY. I think I've read that spring and fall are bad times for predators.
I'm definitely looking into movable fencing. I'm so sad. I never expected to get so attached.
