What can make a baby chick disappear with no trace?

[GoldenGoober2009]

Six days old is much too young to be introducing them to adult chickens.

I tried to convince my mom not to but she made me put them in there.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I tried to convince my mom not to but she made me put them in there.

I'm surprised the rest are still alive to be honest. Adult chickens can easily kill and eat chicks. They'll pester any new chickens added to their flock, not just young ones.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thank you for the detailed response. The chicks were about six days old at the incident. There are no predatory snakes or snakes in general I know of that could have caught them since we live in a suburban environment in the Central Valley. There is also a roof over the coop, so they are safe from the sun.

Central Valley of Costa Rica, California or some other Central Valley around the world?

 

[GoldenGoober2009]

Central Valley of Costa Rica, California or some other Central Valley around the world?

Sorry, to be more specific, the California Central Valley, I'm trying to deprogram myself from my US-centric mind.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You have at least 10 species of snakes all around you that would gladly swallow a chick.
They can get into small holes and chicks that age wouldn't make a lump large enough to prevent escape if the head can get into the hold.

 

[GoldenGoober2009]

I'm surprised the rest are still alive to be honest. Adult chickens can easily kill and eat chicks. They'll pester any new chickens added to their flock, not just young ones.

They never showed any aggression to anyone, including the babies, when I was around. They are friendly to human and chicken babies, they don't mind our seven dogs except for a minor fear, and they are always kind to everyone. The only animal we've ever caught eyeing up our chickens was the neighbor's outside cats, BTW.

 

[StinkyAcres]

They never showed any aggression to anyone, including the babies, when I was around. They are friendly to human and chicken babies, they don't mind our seven dogs except for a minor fear, and they are always kind to everyone. The only animal we've ever caught eyeing up our chickens was the neighbor's outside cats, BTW.

Wow, you have some chill chickens!

You have dozens of species of snakes all around you that would gladly swallow a chick.

Yeah, check inside the roof!

 

[EvieChickenGirl]

I had a similiar thing happen to me. We found the chick 5 hours later under one of the hens. LOL. I was so freaked out because I snuck my hand under the hen to check for eggs I felt something fuzzy and then it pecked me. Then the chick popped out of the wing

 

[GoldenGoober2009]

Thank you, I will update this when I get home.

Wow, you have some chill chickens!


Yeah, check inside the roof!

 

[GoldenGoober2009]

I had a similiar thing happen to me. We found the chick 5 hours later under one of the hens. LOL. I was so freaked out because I snuck my hand under the hen to check for eggs I felt something fuzzy and then it pecked me. Then the chick popped out of the wing

I searched under the hens a few days ago, but nothing. I'm glad you found her though!