Three chickens disappeared!

[jahphotogal]

I had six pullets, about 8 weeks old, when I left for work this morning, and only 3 when I came home. I live on main street in a very small town (pop 3,000) - anything could have taken them, human, dog (my best guess, knowing my neighbor) or something else. HEARTBROKEN! I still have 2 golden-laced wyandottes and a columbian Wyandotte but lost Bonnie, my sweet easter egger, Snow White, the Austra White who was queen of the flock, and Dandelion, another columbian. I keep walking out and around, hoping they'll turn up, but it's dark now - they'd have come if they were here! All six were around at 3 when my daughter came home from school and probably not around by 6, when she came outside for a few minutes on her way out. Chicken-napper - beware. If I find out who you are, I will come after you!

 

[Greyfox Farm]

I'm so sorry! We're they out or in a coop? If they were on their own anything could have happened, but in a residential setting in the daytime I'm thinking dog. Maybe something scattered them and they'll come back after they calm down....I hope so. Best of luck.

 

[jahphotogal]

I hope so but it's dark now and I"ve been out calling for an hour... I think dog is very likely (my neighbor's dog chased my fat old cat 30 feet up a tree last week!

 

[BoonFarm]

Same thing happened to my small flock. I let my 12 chickens free range during the day and lock them up at night. One morning (a couple weeks ago) they were let out around 7am. I went out around noon, to feed them some grapes and i realized 4 missing. Now i do have a couple roosters in the flock, so at first i thought one rooster ran off to the woods with three hens. After walking around and finding a pile of feathers i knew something had gotten them. That was soon confirmed when one of the missing hens came limping (and a bit bloody) out of the woods

. Good news is i was able to help her heal. Now the remaining 9 have a large fenced in section.

Hope yours show up! Good luck!

 

[jahphotogal]

Remarkably, delightfully, two of them showed up this morning, none the worse for wear. Not my beloved Bonnie, but my second-favorite, Snow White, and her faithful sidekick Dandelion. Bonnie, alas, is still missing and presumed dead. I do hope to find some evidence, some day, of what happened, but I'm 2/3 happier than I was last night!

 

[Krissy12052]

I'm glad they came back! Hopefully Bonnie comes back too!