One of our new hens (4mos old) is gone!

[lorihadams]

I lost a rooster to a weasel a few weeks ago and my 3 yr old used his own money (god bless him) to go buy 2 new hens. I got up this morning and there were feathers everywhere and one of the hens was missing. What happened?

Lori

 

[SpottedCrow]

Any other evidence? blood, chicken pieces...
Are the birds in a secure place at night so nothing can get to them?

 

[lorihadams]

No, no blood or pieces. Just lots of feathers and the hen is gone. We are trying to get a better pen and some more supplies to build a coop properly. We just got a 10 by 10 dog pen when my MIL showed up with the chickens. They have 2 poles in the top to roost on and the pen is covered with a tarp. We have a barrel in there now for them to snuggle in but we just inherited nesting boxes tonight. We are trying to get together some materials to build a coop and see if we can get some better fencing to put around the bottom of the pen but we were caught off guard when she showed up from NC with 2 chickens in the back of her suv. She likes to bring my children animals as presents...lizards, frogs, a hamster, chickens. Our house is a zoo. I just don't know what to do. At the moment we have turned the remaining 2 chickens loose in the yard until we can fortify the "pen of death".

I don't know what else to do but my mortgage is due this week and I can't afford to buy too much. We have a friend that raises pheasants and guineas so we are going to try to get some supplies from him.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Lori

 

[silkiechicken]

If preds found your birds, they would be safer in the coop than out free. Best you can do is bring them inside at night and let them have the pen for the day. Good luck.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
I agree

 

[chad]

Sounds like a coyote or a fox. Definitely a predator.

 

[speckledhen]

Lots of critters are lurking around, just waiting for a chicken dinner to show up. If the birds aren't locked into a predator proof coop at night, they will disappear. Period.

Check out construction sites where they are building new homes. Usually, they will let you go through their burn piles and dumpsters to find materials to build a coop. This little hexagonal coop of mine was built for $60 and $20 of that was paint I bought to use since I didnt like the colors we had. The rest was for roll roofing. It can be done very cheaply. Free pallets are good, too.