Two chicks disappeared

[DianeS]

I had 29 chicks (about 3 days old) in an outdoor brooder. Two of the chicks disappeared the first night. Just *poof* they're gone! No disturbance of any kind. And whatever it was didn't come back the next night.

Any ideas? The brooder is on the ground, and is fairly predator resistant, but I know it isn't perfect. I guess I'm just surprised at this method - no disturbance and no repeat. It's like the chicks just walked away.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are different things that could cause that, maybe even the chicks finding a way out of the brooder. You never know for sure. But the first thing I thought of was a snake. Snakes don't kill just for fun but kill to eat. It takes them a while to digest their food. I've had them taking eggs from my coop before. They don't come every day, but maybe once every three or four days. I'd suggest you look for ways a snake could maybe get in or out.

But like I said, it could be something else. Good luck. Predators are not always easy.