- Oct 3, 2010
- 3
- 0
- 7
Just stumbled across this forum while researching my disappearing hen problem and thought I'd ask if anyone here has any thoughts about what's happening to my hens.
We've been raising chickens here for about 7 years. Our hens are free range on our property during the day and cooped at night. Our property is fenced all around with a gate for the driveway. We are on a large city lot on the edge of a small town. We have had trouble over the years with dogs, coyotes, raccoons, skunks and chicken hawks. While all of these predators sometimes disappear with a hen without leaving a trace generally if they start to attack multiple times we'll find feathers or an injured hen.
Over the past 2 years we've lost 2 separate flocks of 15 hens. It is fairly sudden ... at first we'll notice 2 or 3 hens missing when they go into the coop. Next night, 1 or 2 more. Within 10-14 days they are all gone without a trace. My son generally lets them out in the morning and I don't think he counted them at that point so we don't know for sure that they didn't disappear during the night. He counts when they go into the coop at night. The coop is located in the far rear of the house. We have no dog. We would be unlikely to hear any trouble in the coop at night.
We are planning to start a new flock but don't want to begin without some idea what happened to the others. We are suspicious that it might be thieves. We have many neighbors that have fallen on hard times and are familiar with processing chickens. Or could it be an animal? What do you think?
Thanks for any and all help!
We've been raising chickens here for about 7 years. Our hens are free range on our property during the day and cooped at night. Our property is fenced all around with a gate for the driveway. We are on a large city lot on the edge of a small town. We have had trouble over the years with dogs, coyotes, raccoons, skunks and chicken hawks. While all of these predators sometimes disappear with a hen without leaving a trace generally if they start to attack multiple times we'll find feathers or an injured hen.
Over the past 2 years we've lost 2 separate flocks of 15 hens. It is fairly sudden ... at first we'll notice 2 or 3 hens missing when they go into the coop. Next night, 1 or 2 more. Within 10-14 days they are all gone without a trace. My son generally lets them out in the morning and I don't think he counted them at that point so we don't know for sure that they didn't disappear during the night. He counts when they go into the coop at night. The coop is located in the far rear of the house. We have no dog. We would be unlikely to hear any trouble in the coop at night.
We are planning to start a new flock but don't want to begin without some idea what happened to the others. We are suspicious that it might be thieves. We have many neighbors that have fallen on hard times and are familiar with processing chickens. Or could it be an animal? What do you think?
Thanks for any and all help!