Lost a chicken

[tsperry88]

I have been taking the risk of letting my flock free range from about 10am until I get home, since they do better in the heat when they have access to the woods. One of my welsummers is missing. The flock does not seem on edge at all like last preditors attack. They don't seem to care. Is it just a coincidence that I tried to stop a wulsi from swallowing a long wing feather this morning, but couldn't, and now one of them is missing? They aren't laying age yet, so she isn't broody.

 

[Kiki]

Hopefully she shows back up.
Have you searched well for her?
Looked around for feathers?

 

[tsperry88]

I searched for feathers, but my property is super dense. I have pretty much determined if they don't want to be found they won't be found. It just rained really hard, so if she is out there she is drenched.

 

[tsperry88]

I can't find any sign of her. It's too late now. Hopefully she can survive the night if she is out there. She wasn't a favorite, but I don't like losing them.

 

[tsperry88]

She didn't come back this morning. The flock always stays together. If it was a preditor, I would expect them to be on edge. Is there other explainations for her being missing?

 

[IttyBittyBirdy]

She didn't come back this morning. The flock always stays together. If it was a preditor, I would expect them to be on edge. Is there other explainations for her being missing?

Broody? Maybe she's hid a nest somewhere.

 

[tsperry88]

She is only 13 weeks old and hasn't laid her first egg.

 

[IttyBittyBirdy]

She is only 13 weeks old and hasn't laid her first egg.

Oh, my bad.
What kind of predators do you have in your area?

 

[tsperry88]

Everything During the day, foxes, dogs, and hawks. I saw a cayote once. Their favorite hangout is well protected from the air. It's super brushy. I need cameras. Sometimes I wonder about 2 legged preditors.

 

[Sarkchick]

My last free range loss was a coyote. Grabbed a hen at a dead run. Hen never saw it coming. The rest of the flock did not seem to know, they acted normal. I would not know what happened to her but saw it as it disappeared into the brush/woods.