It finally happened.... 😭

[David61]

Very sad for you and hope you have a plan to stop this because chances are, they will come back.

 

[DustyDivas]

So sorry for your loss
I had a fox kill two of my pullets 6 wks into having chickens... it was devastating & I too cried the whole day after it happened. You can be told not to get attached to hens, but it's harder said than done when you have a small and very entertaining flock.
Hope you feel better soon xx

 

[jeepgrrl]

I’m very sorry for the loss of your leghorn. The first loss is always hard. I lost my first pullet to a hawk; she was only 6 months old and from my first flock. The unfortunate downside to free ranging is that there will be some occassional losses, it’s a risk we take but I still wouldn’t do it any other way. I lost my blue Cochin (my avatar and favorite hen) last summer to a fox. Baby Blue was broody but she would always hop off the nest and free range around 11am, usually by herself as the rest of the flock had already moved into the lower pasture by then. My neighbors had warned me of a large red fox that had been making late morning appearances. I was erroneously overly confident that the 5 ft woven wire fence would keep the fox at bay. Nope, the fox scaled the fence, ran about 25’, grabbed by hen and exited the same place where it first scaled the fence. It happened so quickly that the flock didn’t even know Blue was gone. I only figured out what happened after I found a pile of feathers just passed the fence. I found two more piles of feathers deeper into the woods, never found the rest of Blue. One of my huskies tracked the fox’s scent from where it came over the fence, over to where it snatched Blue, and back again. Now I regularly walk my three huskies along the fence line that backs the woods to leave their scent. Not sure if that helps, but the fox hasn’t been back. Also since that happened, a pearl guinea cock mysteriously showed up on our property and never left. The guinea is very skittish and broadcasts a most obnoxious alarm at practically anything that moves, so he has been a good guardian for the flock. This past September, I just happened to witness him chase off a low flying hawk that buzzed the hen yard, so it was the first autumn that the flock was spared from an attack by a hawk. As time passes and more experience and wisdom is gained, we do our best to protect our flocks from predators, disease and injury, but despite our efforts things are going to happen anyway. Knowing you do the best that you can for your flock will help get you through the unfortunate times when a loss is experienced.

 

[jeepgrrl]

Here I've never noticed that my white birds are taken by predators more often, not at all. It's about size, inexperience, bad luck, and poor eyesight (Silkies, or any with top knots).
Mary

In total I have had five hawk attacks, one fox. The ones that were hit were a light Brahma (died), a blue americauna (died), a blue Cochin (fox, died), a dark Brahma (survived), and an Ancona (attacked twice by hawk, survived both). I also have two white hens, a leghorn and an Orpington, both spared from any attack thus far (knock on wood). I totally agree that size, inexperience, bad luck and poor eyesight increase the odds of an attack, as does opportunity. Two of my hens that were picked off (fox and hawk) had a bad habit of becoming separated from the flock and I would constantly have to herd them back to the rest of the flock. I knew it was only a matter of time before something would happen to them.

 

[rumbleBee_STi]

I'm so sorry for your loss, it's hard. free ranging is wonderful for the birds, most of the time. Until it isn't, and I agree that you need to keep your birds in their safe coop and run for two weeks or so, hoping that your visiting predator does leave.
Reset your camera towards that area, you might see who's visiting. We've had losses like that to hawks; one bird, partially eaten and found not too far away. A fox is also a good possibility. Chickens are on everyone's menu!
Chickens do prefer wooded areas and shrub cover, they were jungle animals originally. Having them in open areas isn't best either.
Well set up electric fencing will deter many land predators, a very good thing!
Mary

Thank you. They absolutely love to free range, & I love to let them. They’ve been dying to get out of their run for a little bit of freedom but I’m too terrified to let them right now. I’m planning to keep them in the run until we get better barriers put up because they LOVE the wooded areas around our house, like you said.

We plan on getting another trail cam that sends the pictures directly to your phone, which is so helpful. I’ve also installed some motion sensor lights on the front of the run just in case something decides a midnight snack is overdue.

 

[rumbleBee_STi]

I am sorry for your loss.

When free ranging it is best to not have any lighter coloured chickens, as they get detected more easily by predators even when trying to hide in the undergrowth.

In the beginning (March of this year) I wasn’t planning on free ranging any of them, but things changed & I tested out the free range life & loved it just as much as the chickens do. Best way to learn in life is from the hard way.

 

[rumbleBee_STi]

Here I've never noticed that my white birds are taken by predators more often, not at all. It's about size, inexperience, bad luck, and poor eyesight (Silkies, or any with top knots).
Mary

This is my very first flock I raised as chicks & they haven’t had the experience of any predator attacks.... until now. Except I don’t think the rest of them even knew what happened.

 

[rumbleBee_STi]

I am so sorry for your loss, my sympathy goes out to you,
I know what it feels like, we have lost two roosters and never found the bodies, but the best you can do is work hard to make sure your other feather babies are safe, God bless you and your flock!

Thank you !! I’m not sure if finding her body would’ve made it better or worse for me.... probably worse. I feel like I’ve lost a child

 

[rumbleBee_STi]

I’m so sorry for your loss. The only time I’ve lost birds to predators was while nobody was home, so mine only get to free range when somebody is home or the dogs are on guard now. I had two favorites that I never found this year, I know it can be hard.

Thank you ! I never let them free range unless I’m out there with them. It is SO hard..I literally have no clue where/what I could’ve been doing to not notice an attack since I am ALWAYS right there.

 

[LaFleche]

In the beginning (March of this year) I wasn’t planning on free ranging any of them, but things changed & I tested out the free range life & loved it just as much as the chickens do. Best way to learn in life is from the hard way.

Yes, it sometimes can be hard. But do not blame yourself, we even had a hawk coming down at one cockerel that was roaming about the vegetable garden while we were working right next to him.