Hello everyone this is my first post here on the BYC and Im a greenhorn when it comes to chickens and I could use some insight please.
I recently put together a coupe and got our family some pet chickens. I gave them a great coupe (profile pic) and I have made it so the roof lifts up. Long story short was a gap on the one end that I would say measured 2 3/4" tall x 6" long where the top rests on the wall. I was surprised by a buddy that brought them on Sunday and we had overnighted them without any trouble for 2 nights. Yesterday (Tuesday) I got all the outer fencing up to create a pen that is roughly 15x20 x4' high with chicken wire and at 230pm I let them out under supervision for apprx 3 hrs. We needed to go get some shopping done so I put them all in a coupe, did a head count, fed and watered and left to go shopping. An hour and a half later we returned and I of course went right to the coupe to check on them and there were only 4 left. My wonderful Barred Rock was gone. I noticed a faint grey fuzz at that previously mentioned gap that was at the roofline under a 1 foot overhang at the front of the coupe. At first I thought of a cat. Its not a cat and no cat could have gotten through that gap. Then I thought of maybe a mink? I thought those were black?? Then I thought of hawks. We have our share as we live on pastureland at the foot of a mountain in southern BC. When I picked up this (grey fuzz) and let it fall from my fingers as I pondered the poor girls demise I noticed that it was very very light almost like plumage from a bird. The chicks are 4 weeks old and I don't think she ( Barred Rock) could have jumped up to the inner roof line to escape when all her flock was eating happily inside. Then I started thinking of a hawk again.
Is it possible that a hawk flew down to the front of the coupe on the grass looked up and from ground level noticed the gap and jumped up 3 feet under an overhang and slipped inside for the kill? I seen no signs of a struggle inside at all. Is it possible that they were safe for the first 2 nights because they were solely locked up and no predators could have seen the prey and after having them out for just that short time, they were spotted and watched and later (literally on the shopping trip) we were robbed of our bird by something so stealthy that it got in and then back out with a hen through that small gap?? everything is now totally secure but since reading last night its apparent that i need to cover the top which I had already intended to do and have a net that will work. Thats my job for today is to get that up so the girls can enjoy the outside.
So my question is can a hawk make that kind of entry and exit with a bird in its clutches? I can't figure what would be so light of hair/fuzz that wasn't a bird but I dunno. Something took my bird out without a sign. I will be watching things out there like a hawk myself as Iv already just read if it has been here once it will be back for more.
Any insight greatly appreciated
Thanks
I recently put together a coupe and got our family some pet chickens. I gave them a great coupe (profile pic) and I have made it so the roof lifts up. Long story short was a gap on the one end that I would say measured 2 3/4" tall x 6" long where the top rests on the wall. I was surprised by a buddy that brought them on Sunday and we had overnighted them without any trouble for 2 nights. Yesterday (Tuesday) I got all the outer fencing up to create a pen that is roughly 15x20 x4' high with chicken wire and at 230pm I let them out under supervision for apprx 3 hrs. We needed to go get some shopping done so I put them all in a coupe, did a head count, fed and watered and left to go shopping. An hour and a half later we returned and I of course went right to the coupe to check on them and there were only 4 left. My wonderful Barred Rock was gone. I noticed a faint grey fuzz at that previously mentioned gap that was at the roofline under a 1 foot overhang at the front of the coupe. At first I thought of a cat. Its not a cat and no cat could have gotten through that gap. Then I thought of maybe a mink? I thought those were black?? Then I thought of hawks. We have our share as we live on pastureland at the foot of a mountain in southern BC. When I picked up this (grey fuzz) and let it fall from my fingers as I pondered the poor girls demise I noticed that it was very very light almost like plumage from a bird. The chicks are 4 weeks old and I don't think she ( Barred Rock) could have jumped up to the inner roof line to escape when all her flock was eating happily inside. Then I started thinking of a hawk again.
Is it possible that a hawk flew down to the front of the coupe on the grass looked up and from ground level noticed the gap and jumped up 3 feet under an overhang and slipped inside for the kill? I seen no signs of a struggle inside at all. Is it possible that they were safe for the first 2 nights because they were solely locked up and no predators could have seen the prey and after having them out for just that short time, they were spotted and watched and later (literally on the shopping trip) we were robbed of our bird by something so stealthy that it got in and then back out with a hen through that small gap?? everything is now totally secure but since reading last night its apparent that i need to cover the top which I had already intended to do and have a net that will work. Thats my job for today is to get that up so the girls can enjoy the outside.
So my question is can a hawk make that kind of entry and exit with a bird in its clutches? I can't figure what would be so light of hair/fuzz that wasn't a bird but I dunno. Something took my bird out without a sign. I will be watching things out there like a hawk myself as Iv already just read if it has been here once it will be back for more.
Any insight greatly appreciated
Thanks
