MY CHICKENS ARE GONE TONIGHT!

[Latestarter]

Not always... if the coyote felt safe, he might drop and start tearing into it an eating right at catch point. They aren't stupid animals and if it felt unsafe, it would take the bird and run, leaving no evidence, and eat it elsewhere. Foxes are notorious for taking multiple birds, running and stashing each, one after the other, to be used for later meals. They will empty a coop if they can.

 

[Dawnjanell]

Chickens can hide surprisingly well. I have done the flashlight hunt myself a couple tomes. Look up but also down, mine have been known to tunnel down under the coop when scared.

 

[Conan]

I have found chickens with a cell phone flashlight better than a mag... but I have also lost birds to hawks/eagles/coyotes/neighbor dogs. They do hide surprisingly well. Wait til morning - they may turn up.

 

[Chickalish]

Not always... if the coyote felt safe, he might drop and start tearing into it an eating right at catch point. They aren't stupid animals and if it felt unsafe, it would take the bird and run, leaving no evidence, and eat it elsewhere. Foxes are notorious for taking multiple birds, running and stashing each, one after the other, to be used for later meals. They will empty a coop if they can.

We don't have fox here, please spare me the graphic details at this moment, like I said in the start, my girls have been gone just 3 hours and I am deeply panicked, that kind of salt stings badly and is not necessary.

 

[Chickalish]

When it's dark, they don't move from the spot they are sitting their butt. If you can't find them tonight, they might just be walking around tomorrow in the daylight. Otherwise, yeah, they can disappear without a trace. I've had some gone with no missing feathers or blood. I can tell you in that case it's not a canine. They leave a mess.

Thank you, I hope so much so, I nearly fell down my ravine searching the brush with my flashlight twice now. I will wait for sun-up and hope they wake up early and come home, I just feel sick to my stomache.

 

[bobbi-j]

so a cayote would leave a mess for sure?

No. Unfortunately, they do not always leave a mess. I had coyotes wipe out 7 chickens in one afternoon (yep, broad daylight) without a trace. The only thing I found was one of my rooster's tail feathers.

 

[Chickalish]

No. Unfortunately, they do not always leave a mess. I had coyotes wipe out 7 chickens in one afternoon (yep, broad daylight) without a trace. The only thing I found was one of my rooster's tail feathers.

OMG that is a nightmare, this will be a night of NO sleep, I want them in their little safe house so desperately. I love my chickies. I will never let them out again

 

[Conan]

I honestly feel your pain. I had a snow day where all my ducks decided to be @$$holes and not return home in the evening. I called it the great duckopolypse. They ALL lived. Coyotes, hawks and eagles be damned! Found them all over the next few days. I've lost birds to dogs, coyotes, weasels. The only thing that doesn't leave evidence is a bird of prey...

 

[Kessel23]

If your chickens disappeared without a trace I would guess it was a fox. Foxes are found in San Diego. Foxes will take multiple birds within a short amount of time, they will run in and grab one then run out and repeat until they feel it is unsafe to continue. A YouTuber from Canada named Matt runs a channel called 50 ducks in a hot tub, this summer he raised over 1000 ducks on his property, which has access to a lake, Matt says the most annoying duck predator is the fox, they come in from outta nowhere, grab a duck and then leave. Matt has live streams going 24/7 and this summer a fox took 2 ducks live on camera in front of hundreds of people, including me, within 10 minutes, Matt would have never even known the fox had killed the birds if not for the cameras. Matt waited out there and within 10 minutes the fox was back, Matt took a shot at it but missed, he waited around 20 more minutes and it was back again, this time it did not get to return to the forest...
If your birds never turn up then i'm 99% sure it was a fox, the only other animal that takes large numbers of birds without leaving a trace is the Human, and most Humans do not like stealing poultry from peoples backyards.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

2 of my 5 chickens disappeared tonight without a trace... What would take them with no feathers or blood.... Wouldn't there be something?.... Would they [continue to] hide while I look for them with a flashlight and call them for an hour????

1st: After dark a chicken is worst than helpless and they sure won't or can't come to you in the dark. In fact they are more likely to flee from you in the dark, at least flee from you the best that they can flee after dark. Of all the bloods known to man, chicken blood is the world champion at clotting. Look instead for feathers. It sounds to me like you wayward birds got a good scare and hopefully they will be like Little Beau Peep's sheep, they'll come home, waging their tails behind them. Keep the 3 remaining chickens cooped up and put a little feed outside the coop. Check on the coop regularly and hopefully the two missing birds will return.