missing hen..UPDATED* case closed

[heather112588]

We always let our 13 birds free range during the day (putting them away around 5pm). Only twice in 3 years were our birds ever gotten by predaters (fox) ...and that was mostly from faults of ours. Yesterday one of our barred rock girls (tilly) just disappeared during the day...no feathers, no trace at all...in the past when we had fox issues there were at least a trail of feathers (i mention fox of course because we consistantly fight them around here...literally could catch 6 per month). We spent the evening looking and calling for her with no luck. Gilda (my rir roo) was raising hell and called for her for hours so we know it was something that got her... any ideas what could take her w/o a trace? For everyone who may think hawk, just know that she was a large girl (not a bantam and weighed a good 6 lbs).

 

[heather112588]

anyone? ello? ...crickets

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Any number of things could have gotten her during the day.

Are you hens laying eggs? If they are, she might have started a nest somwhere.

~ Aspen

 

[dewey]

Sounds like coyote or fox. Both are active during the day, but so true, lots of preds out there so it's hard to say what took her. Sorry about your hen. Maybe she'll show up.

 

[heather112588]

Yes, She is laying age but i doubt the nest thing being plausible...she wasn't even showing signs if there was another nest or if she wanted to go broody. She is gilda's #1 girl and is always normally by his side or there at his beckon call...he crowed his heart out all evening and nothing.

 

[mdbokc]

I have lost 6-7 pound hens to hawks. Except that they left a few feathers. And that's all they left. However, for the next two weeks, we were the first stop in the morning as they went hunting.

 

[yinepu]

Sounds like a fox to me

 

[heather112588]

Well our case was finally solved...our closest neighbor (who lives about 1/4 mile away) said one of her dogs got out and brought her a present. She had tried coming to our house to tell us but we were not home. She then sent a card, apolizing and asking if she could do anything to redemy the situation (which i thought was very classy). I called back today and asked for nothing, just thanked her for letting us know and her offer.

Needless to say, we were currently in the process of fencing in a free ranging area instead of just letting them roam around our 6 acre front yard. We finished it yesterday (day after it happened)...what are the odds

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

You have a good neighbor. Sorry about your hen.

 

[chicmom]

OH, that was really nice of your neighbor to come and tell you......So sorry you lost your hen.