Utah!

[acemario]

was it bloody, any feathers torn out? Wounds? Teeth marks? Hmm.. if not it almost Makes no sense..

I didn't see anything glaringly obvious. I thought maybe the head had some blood on it. It was starting to stink cause it had Ben out all day so I got rid of it quickly...

Perhaps something tried dragging it under the coop?

That could be a definite possibility... Hmmmmm... Thanks for the idea! Would the predator have gone for other chickens too rather than just the one?

 

[Cynthia12]

Oh Ace, I'm sorry that you lost a chicken, and had to find it that way.
I can't imagine something was after it during the night, or you would have heard all heck break loose. The chickens get noisy when anything comes around. Had a cat get into my coop a couple of months ago. Boy did they raise a ruckus..and, when something comes around during the day, they start alerting each other. I figure you aren't home during the day, but night? Didn't hear anything? During the day, if I'm home, and I hear them, I go outside to see what the ruckus is. Sometimes it's just that a dove has landed in a tree that is just getting big enough for them to land in..we planted a couple of years ago. Guess the chickens think that's too close for them. Anyway, hope nothing comes around again. Maybe that silly chicken followed something to eat under there, and got stuck. Hope you can figure it out.

 

[michellemybelle]

I didn't see anything glaringly obvious. I thought maybe the head had some blood on it. It was starting to stink cause it had Ben out all day so I got rid of it quickly...
That could be a definite possibility... Hmmmmm... Thanks for the idea! Would the predator have gone for other chickens too rather than just the one?

it depends on the predator... Some go after many, some just go for one.. Usually a bigger predator like a fox, the chicken wouldn't even be there for you to find, just some feathers and maybe another chicken missing.. Raccoons usually go for the eggs, but they may hurt anything in their way.. You would see one or more injured chickens, or in some cases, a chicken with no head... We have a raccoon in our neighborhood because my neighbor doesn't have her coop very well protected, and this raccoon I will see it go into their coop, not touch any chicken and come out running on its hind legs holding an egg or two in its arms.. It is quite funny to see since it doesn't hurt anyone...

Well hopefully you figure out your mystery.

 

[acemario]

Hm. I should be able to hear them if ruckus is going on during the night like Cynthia said... So maybe that wasn't it... Who knows! Just one of those crazy things, I guess! Thanks for all the sympathy slash empathy!

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Hm. I should be able to hear them if ruckus is going on during the night like Cynthia said... So maybe that wasn't it... Who knows! Just one of those crazy things, I guess! Thanks for all the sympathy slash empathy!

Ace, maybe she was not feeling well and went back there to hide? When my hen was eggbound this Spring she kept trying to tunnel behind a board where there was not much room for her to fit, like she was trying to go off somewhere to make her peace, it was sad. Or maybe another hen was picking on her and she was trying to squeeze somewhere to hide? I sure hope you have no predators! Sorry to hear about you losing one of your girls.

 

[themadchicken]

Since my last post i decided to open the gates to all the runs so the 4 hens with chicks could get some fresh grass and mingle with the flock. I was a little nervous because two of the hens are Silkies (Twister and Dandelion), one is a small/medium size frizzle (Spike) and the other is a B-EE (Momo). I think since all of my flock has been raised around chicks except 6 4-month old pullets i got to replace my egg layers in a couple month that everyone is getting along so far. The young pullets and 1 year old OE's have quickly learned that even a bantam hen with chicks is dangerous. But the coolest thing so far and this is a first, Dandelion and Spike have decided to sleep in the big coop with the rest of the flock tonight. It is so funny, the little chicks are up on the roost bar with their moms and everyone is giving them some room except the Cochins that sleep in that corner of the coop on the poop shelf. I have a ramp in the coop for the silkies to walk up to the roost and the little chicks must have followed the hens up the ramp and then jumped the ten inches up on the bar. You can just see the Cochins in the bottom of the picture. Even though my Cochins are only 4 months old and as big as most of my laying hens they are at the bottom of the pecking order, even under the smallest 2 bantams.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Gary, those littles are so cute sitting on that roostbar~! Such a fun picture, glad you shared. A smile before bedtime.

That white frizzle baby is so darling.

 

[Cynthia12]

Since my last post i decided to open the gates to all the runs so the 4 hens with chicks could get some fresh grass and mingle with the flock. I was a little nervous because two of the hens are Silkies (Twister and Dandelion), one is a small/medium size frizzle (Spike) and the other is a B-EE (Momo). I think since all of my flock has been raised around chicks except 6 4-month old pullets i got to replace my egg layers in a couple month that everyone is getting along so far. The young pullets and 1 year old OE's have quickly learned that even a bantam hen with chicks is dangerous. But the coolest thing so far and this is a first, Dandelion and Spike have decided to sleep in the big coop with the rest of the flock tonight. It is so funny, the little chicks are up on the roost bar with their moms and everyone is giving them some room except the Cochins that sleep in that corner of the coop on the poop shelf. I have a ramp in the coop for the silkies to walk up to the roost and the little chicks must have followed the hens up the ramp and then jumped the ten inches up on the bar. You can just see the Cochins in the bottom of the picture. Even though my Cochins are only 4 months old and as big as most of my laying hens they are at the bottom of the pecking order, even under the smallest 2 bantams.

Snug as a bug.

 

[Cynthia12]

Both the silkies have sold. Thought I would put that out there..the paint was, and now the blue. That blue is stunning. It was hard to decide between her and the splash, but I've been wanting another splash. I think I am going to keep that cute little one that came from one of Diana's white egg..this last hatch. I posted a photo of her ..her...lol.. just a couple of pages back. I think she just may have a little poke em up on the head. Sure is sweet. Thinking she will be small, she can keep my splash company in my end run when the mama hen is done raising her babies in there.

Also want to sell my incubators. One is with a fan, three are still. Anyone on here interested? I think for the fan I should be able to get 50 for it. I just got it this spring. The still airs are great. One is more dirty, but it hatches great! I love the still airs for hatching. I also have a turner. Not sure what to charge for them. ??

 

[themadchicken]

Thanks Lisa. I sure hope it turns out to be a pullet. Its just starting to get its crest feathers. The other two are the ones I'm confused about. They had huge domes and like a Silkie chick and even looked like a Silkie but their feather are coming in straight. I'm pretty sure they came from Spike but they are not frizzled and they dont have the Silkie feathers going on. They are really cute and one has black spots coming in like a paint. That would be cool.