Snake or other

[sawilliams]

3 - 1weekold chicks missing overnight.


First understand I have a lot going on there are roughly 50 chickens right now (48 at count yesterday 2 are pullets in a seperate pen) in an 8x8 coop and freeranging. Only 13 are adults the rest are pullets aged from 1 week to about to lay and i believe there are about 15 cockerels which will be butchered or find homes in the next few weeks, plus 4 pullets that are waiting pick up. Plus I live in nor cal in an area where they only need shelter at night and during rain. So on coop size 16 suggested we with a run when closed can home 30. Because they aren't cooped up for long periods we can house 20-30 which will be the case soon.

Back to the missing chick. Because of the surplus of pullets aged cockerels I have 6 10w roosting on top of a mini pen, 8 7we sleeping inside the same mini pen and the mama with her 1w chicks has taken a spot under the main coop as the chicks can't get the big coop yet. She sleeps too far under for me to crawl in to move her to the mini pen (where I would move the others to the coop. All others are in the coop which is left open. Usually i close the run but because of the surplus we have been living it open to allow them more space in the early morning. No one else was hurt in this event. I found no evidence of attack or fight. So I suspect either something crawled (or slithered) under the coop and snatched the chicks in the night or they where plucked by a flying foe early this morning. Honestly it seems to clean at this point and I think it was a snake as the are to many larger more accessible meals that a raccoon our other animal could get too.

Just looking good an opinion. On what might snatch 3 baby chicks

 

[Abriana]

It would have had to be something that wouldn’t cause a gigantic ruckus or take more birds. A snake could be the culprit. Could they have wandered off? Are there holes anywhere that they can crawl through?

 

[sawilliams]

Again the chickens free range AMD the run is left open to insure early morning space. Mama hasn't taken them further than around the coop and up the hill to the feed shed for treats. However I did not individually head count them at bed time though all 5 where there an hour or so earlier when my kids where trying to hold mamas chick. The run is 2x4 hard wire with chicken wire over the lower half so that can't go through the fencing but they could have simply walked out the gate since it's open.

 

[centrarchid]

Not enough info. U setup game camera?

 

[sawilliams]

Not enough info. U setup game camera?

Nope, and unfortunately that's all the info I have. Mama presumably when to nest with 5 chicks and only had 2 at 7am this morning with no other disturbance in the coop or run. Is an expected lose. I know the are snakes around. I'm not sure the rattler I saw last week would have been big enough to take 3 chicks, but the was a gopher snake last year that could probably eat at least a 4-6 week chick or bigger.

I'm just thinking snake due to the lack of evidence and lack of stress in the flock and the fact that there are 6 larger chicks that are much more obvious and more vulnerable, plus why go for tiny 1 week chicks with an entire flock in the open coop over head.

Either way doesn't matter to much it is expected loss. That's why I got a rooster and an incubator so I can hatch more when I want or need

 

[centrarchid]

When are your assessing birds for stress?

 

[sawilliams]

Well what ever it was or wasn't it did upset mama enough that instead of trying to nest under the coop she managed to get her 2 1week chicks up about a 5 inch jump into the main coop. And they are snuggled in a nesting box. However, everyone else went to bed as normal.

 

[centrarchid]

I am dealing with Black Rat Snakes, Opossums, Great-horned Owls, and Red Fox as threats to chicks. Using game cameras and other methods I am able to see what the predators do. I am also able observe responses of the chickens in real time. Often, especially with snakes and Opossums, the response of chickens in minimal except when predator is actually present.

 

[sawilliams]

So looks like a fox this morning. I've been busy with fair prep and apparently forgot to lock up the run last night. I found the 2 chicks wandering by them selves, worried i started looking for mama and found her body just past the goat pens punctures in her neck and obviously shaken to death. I tried to do a flock count this morning but will have to refer to my count list. I'm missing 1 -1 year old cinnamon queen, 1 11 week old blue EE cross breed and 1 8 week cross breed. So far 4 in all, but I'll have to wait till tonight to do a thorough count and head check.

Losses happen its once of the risks we took buying a ranch...

Caught the chicks and moved them to the brooder box in the garage.

 

[centrarchid]

Not fox like based on your description. Unless you saw fox do it.