- May 9, 2011
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I let out my flock, 8 hens and 1 roo, yesterday morning at about 8:30am. I live out in the country, so I let them free range all day and lock them up at night. My nearest neighbor is ~200 yards from my house, and they have cats. One of these cats I have seen real close to my house, watching my flock. In fact, a month ago my neighbors complained my turkeys were on their property in the morning. A few days after that I saw my turkeys chasing their cat across the field to their house.
Well, I was inside my house until about noon when I decided to go give my chickens some treats. I went outside and they were all acting very weird, and Sugar - my Rhode Island Red hen wasn't to be found. I looked around and couldn't find here. She was the most skiddish of my hens. Even still if I shook a can of oats, or corn or anything her and the rest of the flock would come running. I came upon some smaller feathers that were very white, with brownish tips. There was a little in the yard, and then a little more under a bush. These looked more like the feathers of my two Bourbon Red turkeys. I couldn't imagine why there was this amount of feathers, but there was no dead bird near and no blood to be seen. I had recently seen my turkeys go at it a couple times and get brutal so I thought maybe that.
Well, just before dusk I went out to feed and call them in. Sugar didn't come. I grabbed a flashlight and headed out, about 50 feet behind the area of scattered feathers I found one possibly tail feather, if not wing feather that I am sure belonged to my only Rhode Island Red hen - Sugar.
I will check my turkeys in the morning for wounds, but they both looked fine last night.
Is it possible that a cat could catch a hen? Possibly catch it off guard? What else could take a full grown hen in broad daylight, while not bothering the rest of the flock? I was assume a fox, coyote, mink, etc would go for the rest of the birds.
Well, I was inside my house until about noon when I decided to go give my chickens some treats. I went outside and they were all acting very weird, and Sugar - my Rhode Island Red hen wasn't to be found. I looked around and couldn't find here. She was the most skiddish of my hens. Even still if I shook a can of oats, or corn or anything her and the rest of the flock would come running. I came upon some smaller feathers that were very white, with brownish tips. There was a little in the yard, and then a little more under a bush. These looked more like the feathers of my two Bourbon Red turkeys. I couldn't imagine why there was this amount of feathers, but there was no dead bird near and no blood to be seen. I had recently seen my turkeys go at it a couple times and get brutal so I thought maybe that.
Well, just before dusk I went out to feed and call them in. Sugar didn't come. I grabbed a flashlight and headed out, about 50 feet behind the area of scattered feathers I found one possibly tail feather, if not wing feather that I am sure belonged to my only Rhode Island Red hen - Sugar.
I will check my turkeys in the morning for wounds, but they both looked fine last night.
Is it possible that a cat could catch a hen? Possibly catch it off guard? What else could take a full grown hen in broad daylight, while not bothering the rest of the flock? I was assume a fox, coyote, mink, etc would go for the rest of the birds.
