What predator would do this

[GoChick]

In the past week, I lost two 9 week old chicks to a predator.

The chicks have just been "weaned" out by their mom, so they are pretty much on their pwn, and all over the place, but always close to the older hens and rooster.

It happen the same way both times:

I hear a big commotion coming out of the chicken yard. When I get there, all the hens and the rooster are in a group, with the remaining chicks with them, making a huge racket. There's no sign of feathers, the chick simply disappears.

It happened twice around 5pm, which is still pretty much broad daylight.

I do have coyotes, foxes, opossums, raccons, hawks, owls, everybody vying for a nice chicken meal. but whatever it is, it is coming for the small ones, and not leaving any signs behind.

Any guesses?

Of course I'll keep them locked in their secure pen for the time being, and only let them free range under supervision, but I would love to know what is taking them out so I can protect them and let them free range again...

sniff sniff. the last chick taken was a beautiful little pullet, from my Brahma rooster with my Blue Ameraucana, she was just like a Blue Ameraucana, but with feathered legs... cutest chick ever, and so friendly. darn.

 

[geoff40]

A hawk, or a bobcat. I don't think anything else would take 2 birds and not leave any sign.

 

[jtallant]

Do you have snakes? I have lost young pullets from snakes before and couldn't figure it out until I found the snake in the coop one day. Scared me to no end. Sorry that you lost your chicks

 

[katievallance]

I lost two pullets awhile back and never knew what it was that took them. My husband who is a firefighter/EMT not to long ago took someone to the hospital who had been bite by a snake while getting eggs out of her coop so be careful..

 

[jtallant]

Quote:

I lost two pullets awhile back and never knew what it was that took them. My husband who is a firefighter/EMT not to long ago took someone to the hospital who had been bite by a snake while getting eggs out of her coop so be careful..

This particular one was about 2 feet in length, brown and light brown, but that's all I know. I'm not good at snake identification at all. I know we have several nonpoisonous snakes around here, but we do have a couple of poisonous ones that are very prolific in our area (mainly rattlers and copperhead and water moccasins). I saw no rattle and heard no rattle but I was so shocked I screamed "like a girl!" I really wasn't expecting that when I peeked in! It got away very quickly or I would have at least tried to trap it to identify and I was too panicky right then to think straight--shame on me, lol.

 

[sjshaw1980]

I'd say either a hawk, a snake or a cat. So sorry for your loss!

 

[redneck3016]

Try using a game camera it works for some friends I know and you can find 1 and it any sporting goods store in hunting section

 

[GoChick]

I have two game cams, but of course they were on the other side of the run...

I was leaning towards a hawk, but then some friends told me a hawk attack would leave feathers behind, from the attack's impact... somebody suggested a fox - sneaking in and out of the fenced in area... would a hawk attack really leave feathers behind? and a fox not?? the only other time a predator took one of my hens was a coyote, this time I'm really puzzled...

 

[Ted n Ms]

I would think a hawk. Don't believe a snake would get away that quickly with a chick in his belly. With a small chick there might not be any feathers left from a hawk.

 

[GoChick]

I would think a hawk. Don't believe a snake would get away that quickly with a chick in his belly. With a small chick there might not be any feathers left from a hawk.

Yeah... that's what I'm afraid of... I'm about to turn on my electric fence, so they will be safe from land predators, but hawks are a different story... they do have places to run and hide, bushes, under the coop, etc, but still... I read several posts on hanging fishing line, CDs, etc, but that in the end nothing really works, so I guess I need to let them only forage when I'm close by, until the hawk decides to look for dinner in some other place.