Where did they go? UPDATE!!!!!!

[eggcited2]

I am not finding any remains of the chicks at all.

When any of my adult hens were gotten by raccoons, we would find the body, or lots of feathers, or something that showed trauma. Even if possum or something else would get them, wouldn't there be at least a few feathers or something?????

No blue feathers of a blue chochin, no gold and black feathers of a gold laced wyandott, no striped feathers of a barred rock, etc.

Absolutely nothing is found.

When any of my adult hens went missing, there was always something. Even if only a few feathers.

(Sorry if any words are badly mispelled or out of order: I am just recovering from a big drop in my blood sugar. I am diabetic and my blood sugar went down to low 50's)

 

[mjuenem]

I think it is possible that one found they could fly out and the others followed. 48" is nothing for a chicken. They will fly right over your house if they wanted to.

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
I agree. They can fly 6-8 feet high with one swoop of their wings... There are chickens that do it earlier than others... If you put up some tinfoil or old cd's it SOMETIMES will deter Hawks if that does end up being your issue. Go back to the 20 x 20 space you had... No overcrowding now! Good luck.

 

[Bengalcats1]

Right, it takes ONE to fly over and before you know it they are all doing it, I hope this morning they came back on their own

 

[Mtn Margie]

How about a bobcat? She might have kittens to bring food back to.

 

[eggcited2]

Found a 20 foot long by 10 foot wide awning/cover. It is big enough it can be used for carport or cover for family picnic, etc. Have that set up right at the chicken house, so they come directly out of the chicken house and are under cover.

Also have put the soft vinyl hardware cloth from two sides of the chicken house to about five feet away on some fencing (5 feet wide and 10 feet long on one side of the chicken house; 5 feet wide & 8 feet long on the second side of the chicken house, so those two sides have the hardware cloth as covering over the hens and pullets.

All feeding is done under the 20x10 solid awning/cover and also all water is put under there.

As for predators on ground: have four live traps baited and set. Placed around all 4 sides of the fenced area of the chickens. Going to get raccoon traps that drive attached chain into ground then you bait, when raccoon puts paw in to get bait, it clamps onto paw and you "dispose" of it as you want (turn loose or shoot it).

 

[socks]

I read something, somewhere about making sure whatever you are using for fencing is loose at the top (say 1 1/2 feet) so if a critter like a coon is climbing it they can't hold on to it.