Missing hens

[Carol1463]

I've heard of hens leaving for long periods of time to raise their chicks, but then again you said you have a 5ft fence. It would be really hard for her to get out, and chickens aren't good flyers. I agree with Hei 20, I think that it might be a flying predator.

Thought about game camera . Will do .

 

[Carol1463]

Flying ability varies by breed. My birds roost above my head so I suspect they could get over a 5 ft fence.

The Perkins Cochran's are darn good flyers . They hop it like it's nothing .

 

[Carol1463]

We caught a coyote on camera jumping a 76 inch fence, taking a chicken and jumping back out, it can't free jump one as high as we have, there is climbing involved, but 5' is a bounce in and a bounce out.

 

[Carol1463]

Saw a huge red tail 3 days ago watching . She saw us & flew to 3 different trees, then left very close to the ground neck into the hills . Has not returned .,

 

[Carol1463]

Do you have any coyotes in your area? They are able to even jump over a 7 foot fence.

 

[Carol1463]

We do have coyotes . But have had zero come close in the last 3 yrs. we have fake fire torches that light up at night . Don't know if that's what keeps them away ?

 

[Carol1463]

I’ve seen where one would run strings on top of open pen. Back and forth and different angles to prevent flying predators from flying in. I’ve seen it on YouTube! Might help prevent Birds of prey.

 

[Carol1463]

Our yard is huge . ,

 

[ChickenLord33]

Definitely sounds like a hawk (although I'm unsure where your rooster originally disappeared too, maybe hiding while scared?). We have hawks just terrorizing our birds right now...I don't let them out to free range because of it, only into their run the last few weeks but even today I saw they all froze when a bird flew by. Fall->Winter seems to have activated all the hawks in our area. Very stressful for them even though they are safe now (one was attacked while free ranging about a month ago but luckily only lost feathers, no blood).

 

[Allthefloofs]

We do have coyotes . But have had zero come close in the last 3 yrs. we have fake fire torches that light up at night . Don't know if that's what keeps them away ?

That's pretty cool. I don't know if it would either, but it sounds good. We are putting up coyote rollers this week. I can't relax until we do.