Hey, fellow chicken owners,
I've got a situation on my hands. In the last month or so, I have lost two bantams--a d'Uccle hen and a OEG rooster--with absolutely no trace left behind.
We live on 28 acres and our house is in a clearing surrounding by woods. However, the clearing we are on covers about an acre, and for months now our free-range chickens have stayed in the clearing close to the house. The days that these bantams disappeared, we checked the woods near the clearing and found no feathers or bodily remains. We searched our yards (which are fairly large and open) and we found no signs of their bodies...not even a feather to speak of. We lock the coop at night, but these bantams disappeared before "lock-up" time.
The only predator we've dealt with recently is a hawk (one of our bantam roosters was attacked and almost killed by one, and the very d'Uccle hen I've spoken of was nearly killed by a Redtail), but having witnessed an unsuccessful hawk attack before, I imagine there would have been plenty of feathers left behind even if the hawk carried the bantams away. We have had one possum visit, but it was a lethargic animal that seemed sickly, and it was not near our chickens when we found it and put it out of its apparent misery.
My question is this: what animal would be such a brilliant killer that it would leave no traces of its struggle--as I said, not even a feather--and would carry off its prey without dropping something behind? Could a fox be so skillful? We have had two foxes on our property before, but they disappeared about two years ago. Could a raccoon be so skillful? I have heard that they are ruthless killers that go somewhat into a frenzy and become very messy with their prey, but they are also clever animals.
We live in an area that is not exactly rural, but nonetheless I wonder if it was a chicken thief. Both of these bantams would have made great pets (they were to my family and I), and the only motive I can think of would be that someone took them for pet purposes.
Can anyone help me with suggestions? Is a chicken thief too far-fetched?
God bless,
I've got a situation on my hands. In the last month or so, I have lost two bantams--a d'Uccle hen and a OEG rooster--with absolutely no trace left behind.
We live on 28 acres and our house is in a clearing surrounding by woods. However, the clearing we are on covers about an acre, and for months now our free-range chickens have stayed in the clearing close to the house. The days that these bantams disappeared, we checked the woods near the clearing and found no feathers or bodily remains. We searched our yards (which are fairly large and open) and we found no signs of their bodies...not even a feather to speak of. We lock the coop at night, but these bantams disappeared before "lock-up" time.
The only predator we've dealt with recently is a hawk (one of our bantam roosters was attacked and almost killed by one, and the very d'Uccle hen I've spoken of was nearly killed by a Redtail), but having witnessed an unsuccessful hawk attack before, I imagine there would have been plenty of feathers left behind even if the hawk carried the bantams away. We have had one possum visit, but it was a lethargic animal that seemed sickly, and it was not near our chickens when we found it and put it out of its apparent misery.
My question is this: what animal would be such a brilliant killer that it would leave no traces of its struggle--as I said, not even a feather--and would carry off its prey without dropping something behind? Could a fox be so skillful? We have had two foxes on our property before, but they disappeared about two years ago. Could a raccoon be so skillful? I have heard that they are ruthless killers that go somewhat into a frenzy and become very messy with their prey, but they are also clever animals.
We live in an area that is not exactly rural, but nonetheless I wonder if it was a chicken thief. Both of these bantams would have made great pets (they were to my family and I), and the only motive I can think of would be that someone took them for pet purposes.
Can anyone help me with suggestions? Is a chicken thief too far-fetched?
God bless,
