My chicks are gone, nothing left UPDATE: I found a chick*Graphic Pics*

[ColbyNTX]

all chicken wire will do is prevent the snake from leaving the pen with a belly full of chicks! I know it is alot more expensive but it will last forever and will save you a lot of trouble. You don't have to make your entire coop and runs snake proof. Snakes generally don't mess with adult birds, just chicks and eggs. Make a seperate pen for the babies! Just a simple 8X8 will be fine and not too costly.

 

[2many2count]

Sorry for your loss...and hope you find out what got them

 

[Chicken0Boy]

I went to do some work around the yard to get my mind of things, and I stumbled upon one of my chicks!

I took some pics of what it looked like. Does anybody know what happened to it? Here are the pics...

Body View

Face View (It looked smashed to me?)

This is the butt. All sorts of 'junk' was hanging out?

 

[Chicken0Boy]

Is no one going to help me be a detective?

 

[tinychicky]

poor thing! i'm so, so sorry for your loss

it looks almost like a dog or something carried it for a while then dropped it

 

[BlackBart]

Did it have puncture holes?
I don't know what kind of wild animals live in your area. foxes?

Last night a Raccoon got into my mother hen with her two chicks. How it did I have no idea. Thankfully I heard the ruckus, got out there and booted the Coon. The mother fought hard, he had her by her head. She is still alive she has puncture wounds all over her head. The chicks are OK.
She is in my bedroom in a box. The chicks are sleeping with her at night and go in a new pen during the day.
I think she will loose the sight in one eye.

Trap is set and found the bullets.

I have seen Raccoons sort of maul young birds. No outward sign of physical injury. I think they died of a broken neck.

 

[rancher hicks]

Could be a squirell or cat.

Hardware cloth comes in two sizes. 1/2 in and 1/4 inch. I would make your broody pen out of hardware cloth of the 1/4 in size all the way around. I would also build it up off the ground. Otherwise you need to build it in the garage or close to the house.

Could it have gotten stomped by another hen or the rooster?

Sorry for your loss. Without pics of the pen it's hard to say.

rancher

 

[Chicken0Boy]

I will get some pics of the pen tomorrow, and I found the chick out of the run near my burn pile (It was not burnt btw) There were no signs of digging, and the cats around here are scared of the chickens.

I am leaning to a squirrel maybe? I don't know.

 

[Sjisty]

Maybe a rat? I once lost a nest of chicks to a rat that got into the coop overnight.

 

[nicokl502]

it looks like maybe a cat got it. my cat got one of my chicks once didn't eat just played with it, and the chick died like that one but you may still find some alive cats just play with them for the most part