Only feathers left?

[jmemom]

Sorry, I read the stickies, but if there's any info on just feathers being left, I missed it.

My chicks stayed out in their coop for the first time last night. This morning, 15 of them are clucking along as if everything is just fine, but one of my golden comets is missing. When I looked around, I found a small pile of feathers on the ground next to an inside wall made of chicken wire. Can anyone tell me what might have done this? There is no sign of that chicken anywhere, no tracks that I could see, and no holes in the wire at all. I'd like to do what I can to protect the rest of the flock.

Thanks,

Jamie

 

[CMV]

Sorry for your loss. A small pile of feathers near a chicken wire wall leads me to believe that your bird was probably wrenched through the fence or pulled through a piece at a time. Raccoons are famous for doing that, but I also had that happen with a red-tailed hawk. Welded wire with 1/2 inch openings prevents that from happening. Chicken wire doesn't really offer much protection.

Sorry.

 

[jmemom]

Thanks for the response! I just thought it was weird that there is not a spot of blood, and the fence doesn't seem to be bent in or out anywhere. But I guess a coon could do that? The chicken wire is on the inside of the coop... when you open the door, there's a little area for straw, feed, etc., and the wall is in there. So whatever it is got through the outside wall (which is possible, there are a few small holes in it), then I guess reached through the wire and got the chicken. Maybe I should get some of the wire you are talking about and line the inside of the feed area with it...