When I went to lock up the coop last night, one of my chickens was missing. She sometimes tries to roost on top of the coop, so could have flown over our fence trying to do that. I also have netting over the coop/run, and somehow ends up on the outside of the netting - not sure how she does that.
I expected her to show up this morning, but she did not. I have looked in the adjacent yards and didn’t see her. There is a pile of feathers in one corner of the run, but they could have been there already from a previous molt. It was very rainy and windy last night (even with flooding in the area) and I didn’t think predators would attack in bad weather (or maybe they do?).
I live in an urban area near parks where there are coyotes, opossum, raccoons, hawks, owls, more rare are foxes. A coyote would have a hard time getting in our backyard with privacy fence. A hawk or owl couldn’t get through the netting. I’ve never seen a fox or raccoon in our yard. I have seen opossums in our yard (once in the coop at night when I forgot to lock the door), but they haven’t ever attacked the chickens, only eaten the chicken feed. Of course, I know it’s possible for them to attack chickens though. I do suspect an opossum was responsible for some missing chicks last fall.
I just wish I knew for sure if she was lost in the neighborhood or attacked. And what attacked her so I could make their pen more secure.
I expected her to show up this morning, but she did not. I have looked in the adjacent yards and didn’t see her. There is a pile of feathers in one corner of the run, but they could have been there already from a previous molt. It was very rainy and windy last night (even with flooding in the area) and I didn’t think predators would attack in bad weather (or maybe they do?).
I live in an urban area near parks where there are coyotes, opossum, raccoons, hawks, owls, more rare are foxes. A coyote would have a hard time getting in our backyard with privacy fence. A hawk or owl couldn’t get through the netting. I’ve never seen a fox or raccoon in our yard. I have seen opossums in our yard (once in the coop at night when I forgot to lock the door), but they haven’t ever attacked the chickens, only eaten the chicken feed. Of course, I know it’s possible for them to attack chickens though. I do suspect an opossum was responsible for some missing chicks last fall.
I just wish I knew for sure if she was lost in the neighborhood or attacked. And what attacked her so I could make their pen more secure.
