Lost 5 - 10 week old barred rocks, need help figuring out what what happened

[xianshouston]

We have had 5 chicks disappear - literally. We think the flew up and out of the run, but we have never seen them in the yard, no scratched areas, the garden is untouched, no feathers, no dust bath areas. We lost 1 one day, 3 another and 1 on another day. We have now covered our run. We have 11 black stars over a year old and have never had any problems with them. If they get out when being fed or watered they stay around home and come back at dusk or we can coax them back with scratch. Where would these chicks go? And why wouldn't they come "home" at dusk? And why is there no sign of them.

 

[JosiahK]

Do you see any holes going under the run? If so, your culprit is probably a fox.

 

[xianshouston]

Nope - the run is tight. And wouldn't there be feathers?

 

[esquire22210]

If it happened before the roof was put on it could be avian preditors such as owls, hawks, falcons or eagles

 

[xianshouston]

It was only a 10x10 section uncovered, the other half was covered. I don't think that would be big enough for a bird predator to swoop down and out, plus we lost one last night/early this morning for a total of 6. They are shut up in their coop night. . Our neighbor has a deer cam and moved it to our yard so hopefully we will figure it out. Its only the barred rocks - the black stars are fine. Also we have a hot wire around the top and bottom of the run.

 

[esquire22210]

I once saw an owl take a squirrell through a small opening in brush. Owls unlike hawks feed at night. This would also explain no feathers. There are stories of owls taking full size house cats and flying away with them. One thing is for sure what ever it is it has found a food source and will be back. Unless it is human but chicken thieves are rare. Please let us know what you discover.