So sad tonight

[tammyd57]

He may have been attacked by the hawk but not killed if the hawk wasn't big enough. Maybe he is just injured and hiding? I would look carefully around at any spot big enough to hide him (even spots that don't look big enough for him, chickens can cram into very small spaces if they are scared) in case he is just hiding out from the hawk.

 

[Thinkingaboutit]

Thank you Tammy!

That is the first thing I thought of myself and both myself and my sister looked very carefully under every tree and even up into the trees. We looked everywhere and could not find him at all. The girls are very sad and not eating very well right now. Makes me very sad for them!

Lisa

 

[chkn]

Someone just mentioned they had a hen missing for a week and finally found her jammed in a roll of barbed wire. Sometimes in a panic (or just because they're silly) they jam themselves underneath a shed or in between some materials in a yard. Still worth checking....I hope the guy turns up.

 

[Thinkingaboutit]

Thanks chkn, that is encouraging news!

I will make sure we look around again before we make the final decision on keeping the girls or not!

Lisa

 

[dieselgrl48]

Soo sorry about your Roo.Most likely a fox they rarely leave their prey.They usualy go for neck kill then carry the prey back to den and not many feather's usualy.Sorry, maybe He will show up I hope so.

 

[OrloffTom]

Sorry for your loss of the roo. Hope he may show up real soon for you and the girls.

 

[Thinkingaboutit]

Yes, it could have been a fox, my mother also said she has seen a coyote...I haven't but it could have been!

I will do one more search of the yard and neighboring yards!

Thank you everyone for your replies!

Lisa

 

[cmom]

If you found feathers and he is missing then my guess a predator got him. A few months ago I had several birds out. When I put them back in their run I thought I had put them all in. The next morning I found feathers behind their coop. I followed a trail of feathers but never found a body.

 

[Qi Chicken]

I really hope he comes back. We had a rooster attacked by a dog and there were feathers EVERYWHERE, and I do mean EVERYWHERE. But we couldn't find him anywhere. He was gone for half a day, (we looked everywhere too) and then came stumbling out of the grass. His tail is definitely thinned out but I can't believe he has any feathers left at all judging from the feathers in the yard. Good luck to you!

 

[Thinkingaboutit]

Thanks Cmom and Qi Chicken!

The plan is to return the girls to their original owner sometime next week if the search we do turns up nothing and he doesn't just come back on his own by then.

We enjoyed them greatly and if the neighbors all complain that there is nothing fun to do or talk about now that they are gone we may just get the girls back and also a new rooster. lol

Thank you again for all the replies. This forum has been a GREAT blessing to my family as we ventured into caring for these chickens.

Lisa