I'm happy but a little sad

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

My father finally relented to letting me free-range my chickens. I let them out on Saturday morning.

But on Sunday after I woke up from my nap around 7 pm I shooed them back into their coop. 2 cockerals and a BR pullet dissapeared. I'm wondering what got them? Hawk maybe? But no feathers. And Koda would've chased off any stray dog, raccoon, possum, coyote (which they were all killed off last month), and fox. What do you think got 'em?

I'm more annoyed about loosing Dottie the BR pullet than the other 2.

 

[LadyinRed]

Truth be told it could have been fox, coyote, bobcat, racoon ,possum ,owl, heck anything really. Especially if you let them out Saturday and did not put them up until Sunday night. I will be honest that If you leave them out all night again you will probably lose more chickens. Especially with as Many preditors as we have in middle Tn.

 

[Ole rooster]

The first part of the post gets me. Your dad let you free range you chickens, and then you have to have a nap. Either you're to young to look after chickens, or you're to old and spend to much time napping. No way should you let the chickens out and go to sleep. Who's the protector here? I suppose the one missing are thinking the same thing.

 

[mommissan]

There are all kinds of predators that will take advantage of chickens. I hear the hawks flying over all the time, waiting for an opportunity. Don't beat yourself up over what happened. Just learn from your experience, learn all you can and do your best for the chickens you have left. I always supervise free-range time for my flock. Partly for their protection and partly because I love to watch them have fun.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I let them out on Saturday morning. Put them up on Saturday night around 7 pm. Let them out around 7:25 am Sunday morning. Gave them some watermelon just before taking my nap. I work at a horse farm everyday Monday through Friday mucking out stalls. Sometimes on Saturday I go over to work in exchange for a riding lesson. I am only 20 years old. But I was tired. I know I should've shooed them back into the coop first. I know never to leave chickens out overnight. I'm not that stupid.

Sorry if I offend you. I'm not that good at writing my feelings out. I'm better at saying them.

Edit- Those 3 chickens always wandered off into the weeds. The other chickens stayed in the yard where my mom could see them from the windows. My father was outside burning some branches too.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

Unless I wear long sleeve shirt, jeans, and shoes on my feet I have a hard time staying out with my chickens. Dang Mosquito's eat me alive!

 

[MoonAngel12]

4 Love of Baby Chickens - I wouldn't get too defensive with those earlier comments. They were a little harsh if you ask me. I just started letting mine free range during the day and am not out there every minute with them. That's just not at all feasible for most people. I'm sorry something got to your chickens though. I thought for sure I had lost one of mine when she didn't come back one night, and still was no where to be found the next morning. We found a raccoon "treed" on our dog's lot and I just knew that's what got her. I went searching a bit more and found her sitting on 10 eggs in a nest behind some tall grass. Hopefully yours will show back up like mine did. Everyone views their chickens differently (as with most other pets). I have them, I like them, but they aren't treated like my children or anything. To each their own I guess. I think our dogs help keep things away though... they definitely sound the alarms for anything and everything in our yard.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

Thanks MoonAngel12.

You made me feel better.

 

[mommissan]

Those are the risks of free-ranging- and owning chickens in general. A friend of mine lost her entire flock this year to perhaps a fox or weasel. That is with the company of a dozen horses and a half dozen cows and a guard dog. Worse yet, they were all destroyed when they were penned up. I also know that my little ones like to wander off into the edges, where the predators like to wait. I expect to lose some or all of them to predators from time to time because I know there are weak spots in their security. I am doing the best I can with what I have. I'm sure you are too.

I'm sorry you lost a few.

Good luck with the rest.

 

[Darklingstorm]

I'm a stay at home mom and let me tell you I take naps while my chickens free range the yard. But I'm also prepared mentally to the possible lose of one or two to predators. I will be upset but I know its nature. The only thing that will make me very mad is if someone steals them or someone's dog kills them. I can even handle cats getting one.

I wouldn't give up all hope though, the roosters may have found a rooster-free flock some where and joined them, as for the hen might have gone broody. Another option is they got scared away and will be back eventually, I've read were that has happened too.