human or other animal preditor?

[cutlass1972]

We came home from work last night missing 6 chickens. We let them free range all the time and lock up the coop at night, and this is the first time we have lost any chickens. They are 18 weeks old and the hens that are missing are the ones that where showing signs that they where going to begin laying. There are no roosters missing.
I cannot find any traces of blood, no feathers other than the standard random feather here and there that are there normally.

I am wondering if someone came and stole them? I cannot imagine an animal taking 6 all of a sudden and leaving no traces. My garage was sitting wide open, with thousands of dollars of tools laying right out in the open, none of them are missing.

Any ideas?

 

[Boyd]

dog, coyote, fox. They all are capable of doing it in broad daylight.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Where do you live?

Could a fox or coyote feeding little ones or teaching them to hunt have gotten to them?

Any hawks feeding babies in the nest or teaching them to hunt?

I would suspect an animal or bird preditor discovered your tasty chickens.


72 Cutless - cool car. I took my 77 cutless to Germany when ex got stationed there. Blast to drive the autobahn - pain to find parking spaces big enough.

 

[chuckzoo]

Sorry to hear about your chcikens! I know how dissapointing that must be especially since they were nearly ready to lay.

 

[cutlass1972]

wouldn't there have been some sort of signs though, more feathers than usual, blood, something?
Any why 6 of them? They where not the smallest, they weren't the biggest, there where just the ones that where getting ready to lay. I cannot imagine any animal taking 6 3+/-lb hens.

 

[Love my Critters!]

I too find it a little strange. IMO I would think that the roosters would be gone if it were an animal predator because they usually protect the hens during the day. I am also surprised that with that many missing there is no evidence of a struggle.

Hope you find out what it was.

 

[cutlass1972]

another piece to this puzzle. One of my roosters is blind, he always follows the flock but he lags behind as he follows by sound, if it where a predator would he not have been one of the first to go?

 

[rancher hicks]

does seem strange that only the hens were taken. Also were the other chickens acting scared?
Mine were afraid to go back in the coop after the coon got in.

By the way if it does happen, make some changes. Change the bedding. Clean it out and if possible move the roost and feeder.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[cutlass1972]

they all acted more or less like normal. I gave them some rice thinking that maybe they had wandered off and had made their own nests somewhere and might come back for treats, but no. Then I figured well maybe they will come back to roost in the coop near dark like normal, but no....

It is sickening, to have made it to week 18 with chicks we have had since week 1, and they are getting the nice bright red waddles, and squawking like they are ready to start laying and have this happen.

 

[Blue Skys]

I was going to post the same thing - only it was only two of my birds. The others were a little more cautious than usual (they didn't come running up to me like normal). No blood, no sign of struggle??? Very strange. I can't think of a preditor that would not leave a sign that they had taken the birds. There would at least be feathers.