One of my free-range chickens is missing tonight. Hawk?

[NCfarmin]

Hi everyone,

I'm a little heartbroken tonight as my Austrolorp--the dumbest and sweetest of my six chickens--was nowhere to be found when I went to put the chickens in their run this afternoon around 5:30 p.m.

A bit of background: The chickens are 15 weeks old. They have a coop and an enclosed run but during the day (between 9 and 5ish) they have been allowed out to free range. We have 30 acres but they probably only use a few acres around the house. I haven't been too concerned about them, for a few reasons: 1) there is a lot of open pasture between us and the woods around the house, so we really don't have coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc. near the house and the chickens don't venture far; 2) there is a lot of good coverage for them, and they spend a lot of time hidden deep in the magnolia, big juniper, etc.; and 3) my partner and I both work from home and can see the chickens from most of the house while inside (lots of windows), and our dog is often outside and likes to hang out with the chickens (but she's a border collie, not a guardian dog).

I have only been concerned about hawks. I do have a hard time believing the little hawks around here could grab that big Austrolorp (these chickens are pretty big - not too much smaller than my neighbor's full-grown chickens), but is there another explanation? Is it possible she got sick or lost or . . .? We looked all over the property, calling for her, and didn't see so much as a feather.

So, hawk? If so, any suggestions so that we might be able to continue to let them out sometimes? I plan to keep them in for at least a week so whatever ate her won't get another meal. But I am now afraid to ever let them out. And we LOVE having them around when we are outside.

Sorry for the novel. Appreciate any advice.

 

[PollyGirl21]

I don't think hawk, because you said the ones around your place are smaller. A hawk could have killed one, but probably wouldn't have the strength to carry it off. Also, a field won't serve as an effective barrier if a hungry predator wants a meal. Maybe build a big run for them, or install a fence around their general free-ranging area. Sorry to hear about your chicken.

 

[SueT]

Coyotes here have no problem coming out of the woods, crossing 300' of pasture and grabbing a chicken while we are home.
Keep them in the run, whatever it is will return for more.

 

[NCfarmin]

Coyotes here have no problem coming out of the woods, crossing 300' of pasture and grabbing a chicken while we are home.
Keep them in the run, whatever it is will return for more.

Do the coyotes do it in the daytime? When I lived in Los Angeles, we saw them all the time in the daytime. But out here, I rarely hear them even at night and have never seen one. I would be so surprised. But maybe so...

 

[NCfarmin]

I don't think hawk, because you said the ones around your place are smaller. A hawk could have killed one, but probably wouldn't have the strength to carry it off. Also, a field won't serve as an effective barrier if a hungry predator wants a meal. Maybe build a big run for them, or install a fence around their general free-ranging area. Sorry to hear about your chicken.

Thank you so much for your reply. Somehow, I was under the impression that the mammal predators really didn't hunt in the daytime around here. Maybe I am being naive, but that is what the old-timers have told me. I suppose now that I have chickens, things may come out of the woodwork. But if it were a coyote or fox or whatever, wouldn't there be the sign of a struggle? A few weeks ago, we saw a pile of reddish, chicken-looking feathers at the far end of our property that must have been a neighbor's chicken that got eaten by something--it was quite a mess. Nothing like that around here.

 

[SueT]

All predators can and do come out in the daytime, all hours. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. It is sad to have to lock up your chickens, I have had to do that.
My main group of hens gets to free range on occasional evenings for about an hour before bedtime if i stay right with them, never letting them out of my sight.
A solution you might want to consider is a livestock guardian dog....I am thinking about it

 

[NCfarmin]

All predators can and do come out in the daytime, all hours. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. It is sad to have to lock up your chickens, I have had to do that.
My main group of hens gets to free range on occasional evenings for about an hour before bedtime if i stay right with them, never letting them out of my sight.
A solution you might want to consider is a livestock guardian dog....I am thinking about itView attachment 1357137

Thank you for this. Yes, I have considered a guardian dog but with a toddler at the moment, I am not looking for additional responsibility. Maybe down the road. We may just build them a bigger run. Fortunately, we work from home and are gardening, playing with our kid, etc. outside a lot, so hopefully the chickens can come hang out with us during those times. (They are friendly/greedy about mealworms so tend to stay close.) It was just so idyllic having them free for the last 6-7 weeks. Sigh.
P.S. We want to get goats next, and when we do, a LGD is definitely in order.