This feels like a locked room mystery.
I have 7 1-month old chicks, mixed flock, with 2 3-month old chicks. Theoretically all female, so no roo to sound an alarm.
I have a brand new coop and covered run, covered by hardware cloth, with a hardware cloth skirt. Spring locks with caribeeners. Motion activated lights on the coop.
Each night I go out to close the manual coop door (the run stays locked). I worked today so I didn’t get out until about 2045. Everybody is in the coop, but I’m DOWN A CHICK!
Here’s the backup…I opened the coop door this morning but the run stayed closed. So I didn’t count who exited but it should have been who went in. Last night I counted and came up even (I think?! I’m doubting myself now). Yesterday I let them “free range” for about 2 hours while I did stuff in the house, about a quarter acre away. I had a line of sight and checked on him frequently, both visually and physically. I counted them correctly (I THINK?!!) before getting them back in the run before I left for the afternoon.
There’s no sign of forced entry, no claw marks, no blood, no entrails. All the locks were locked when I went out tonight.
My only thought is a hawk and I’ve miscounted twice? I don’t think I could have left her out…they’re all so loud when they get separated.
Do I have a ghost chick?!
I have 7 1-month old chicks, mixed flock, with 2 3-month old chicks. Theoretically all female, so no roo to sound an alarm.
I have a brand new coop and covered run, covered by hardware cloth, with a hardware cloth skirt. Spring locks with caribeeners. Motion activated lights on the coop.
Each night I go out to close the manual coop door (the run stays locked). I worked today so I didn’t get out until about 2045. Everybody is in the coop, but I’m DOWN A CHICK!
Here’s the backup…I opened the coop door this morning but the run stayed closed. So I didn’t count who exited but it should have been who went in. Last night I counted and came up even (I think?! I’m doubting myself now). Yesterday I let them “free range” for about 2 hours while I did stuff in the house, about a quarter acre away. I had a line of sight and checked on him frequently, both visually and physically. I counted them correctly (I THINK?!!) before getting them back in the run before I left for the afternoon.
There’s no sign of forced entry, no claw marks, no blood, no entrails. All the locks were locked when I went out tonight.
My only thought is a hawk and I’ve miscounted twice? I don’t think I could have left her out…they’re all so loud when they get separated.
Do I have a ghost chick?!
