I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS. PLYMOUTH ROCK GONE WITHOUT A TRACE? What ate her?

[red horse ranch]

Seems like it's always our favorite ones that we lose. So sorry you lost her.

 

[HeavensHens88]

Oh, that's terrible.
I find yotes to be one of the most formidable, if not the worst, predator I've ever dealt with.
I'm sorry you lost the poor girl.

 

[peckpeckpeck]

Holes or not, the chickens are safe. They got locked in last night.

I'm so sorry about your girl!
Sounds like she was a sweetie.

I would still secure those holes. Coyotes in our area sometimes get desperate & come out during the day.

Last year there was a boom in young coyotes because of a good warm year. Come winter, there wasn't enough wildlife in the forests to feed them all, so they were regularly roaming the neighborhoods day & night.
Lots of daytime outdoor cats went missing.

 

[peckpeckpeck]

Also I went crazy the other day when my most "food motivated" girl Pele didn't come running at feeding time.
Searched everywhere & just about gave up on her as taken by a hawk when I heard a pathetic peep.

The poor thing overturned a leaf bag on herself & got stuck underneath!! The derp!

If I hadn't heard her, she would've been under there until god knows when.

 

[jeepgrrl]

I'm sorry for your loss, I know how you feel. I went through great lengths to predator-proof my coop (hardware cloth bolted over all windows and openings and around the run, also buried 12" down, 12" out around coop, motion sensor lights, secondary fencing around the chicken yard) and I still lost one IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!!! I free range my girls and because I felt that the coop was as secure as Fort Knox, I let my guard down. A hawk picked off my Buff Brahma at 11:00 in the morning on a bright, sunny day. I heard the commotion but it was too late. She was a hen that typically would find herself alone because she wasn't paying attention to where her sisters were. Sadly, I knew it was only a matter of time for her; I hate it when I'm right. But that's the price that is paid when the hens are free ranging. We have a ton of coyotes and bobcats in the area but I haven't seen them come around at night. We have three Siberian Huskies so I'm hoping that their scent is deterring those predators. I would keep your chickens locked up at night from now on, especially since you saw the coyote sharking your coop the very next night. Hopefully that will be enough to discourage the coyotes since they can't open the door.

 

[Scott E.]

Not sure about Ohio, but here in Indiana it is legal for property owners to shoot nuisance coyotes. As long as other ordinances do not preclude it. My neighbors and I keep the coyote population tamped down pretty good. We have had a good resurgence in the populations of rabbits and squirrels since we have been actively eliminating the threats.

 

[Chullicken]

Sorry for your loss, lost two of my pets last summer while free ranging..ended that really fast..

Whatever it is or was most likely will return. I know you said your coop is secure, but chickens just don't vanish from a 'secure' coop. So, having said that I'd really take a hard look or better yet have some else do it that is familiar with chickens to look for areas of concern and some 'that really could be changed'. We tend to get to close to our projects and don't really see everything we should. Hope you figure it out and good luck!