one chick missing...

[mimiaustin]

this morning when i opened my coop, there was a chick missing. it was 13wks old. there were a few feathers on the bottom of the coop, but nothing else. the rest of the babies and my four month old silkie were all fine. we thoroughly checked the coop and we found a slit about 1 1/2 inch high and about 3 in long. the slit is on the opposite side of where the feathers were found and there was no distrbance of cobweb in the general area. there is less than 1 in opening under the door to the coop, could something come in through there? we are perplaxed and dont even know where to begin to problem solve. i am going to take pictures and post coop so maybe you might have some ideas for me as to what and where to go next.

 

[CMV]

Weasel? Mink? They're pretty tiny and spry. They can fit through a pretty small opening.

 

[jessupfamily]

Definitely sounds like a weasel or mink. You may find the body somewhere outside of the coop (without it's head most likely). If not that it's a stumper.

 

[mimiaustin]

i live in south texas...weasels and minks here?

 

[mimiaustin]

i like the word spry...thanks for the reminder, i will try to use it more often!

the pictures of the coop holes are proving to be quite hard because of the location. i actally cant get to the hole and the place that it comes out is on my neighbors property...we are going to add chicken wire to the ceiling of our coop...this should keep whatever gets in to the ceiling and not close enough to even grab a chicken. after further, less frantic, searching i found feathers trailing to nearby the small hole i spoke of. we will get the wire up before bedtime. Her name was Little Peep and she was an EE.

i am to hold a memorial service in her honor later today at the request of my 3 and 6 year olds.

i thought our coop was predators proof...

 

[jessupfamily]

Quote:
Yup. You have Long-tailed Weasels and the American Mink. We have both of those also. And our Lab catches them for us!

 

[jessupfamily]

Quote:
Weasels and Mink can squeeze through chicken wire, but not hardware cloth. Just a suggestion.

 

[mimiaustin]

hardware cloth? ok. thanks will do. very sad about little peep.

 

[CMV]

Sorry about Little Peep.

 

[Sissy]

So sorry you lost Peep,its nice to hear you will hold a service.

what is the difference between a
mink and weasel.DH just shot a possem
due to the fact he was the rascel that got
to our chx, recently but have never seen
the others out our way.