# Disappearing Chickens



## TriWinkle (Oct 2, 2011)

What would take chickens at night and not leave a trace?

So far one of my OEG bantam chicks disappeared a couple of weeks ago...It was one of three that free ranged in my backyard with their silkie mama (she hatched them for me)...Only one went missing and the other two were fine for several nights after that...

Now, I noticed that one of my half-grown silkie chicks has gone missing...She was still kinda staying near her mama, but drifting further and further out...I kept thinking something was off today, something was missing, but couldn't put my finger on it...finally I realized that I was short one...No trace of what it could be...no feathers, nothing.

The silkies roost on my porch and in a pen, but I've left it open, until now...Neighbors across the street have cats, but the dogs usually keep them away...BUT the dogs go into the house at night, so I was wondering if it may be one of the cats...Maybe an owl? Dunno...you're guesses would be better than mine...I've caught the cats on my place before, but haven't seen them around in a while. Figured after the last one had a bit of an encounter with my dogs that they'd learn their lesson.

Kinda bummed about that silkie, she was a pretty little hen.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

TriWinkle said:


> What would take chickens at night and not leave a trace?
> 
> So far one of my OEG bantam chicks disappeared a couple of weeks ago...It was one of three that free ranged in my backyard with their silkie mama (she hatched them for me)...Only one went missing and the other two were fine for several nights after that...
> 
> ...


Sounds like a bobcat, or a owl, but could be a number of things. You might want to build them a coop that you can lock them up at night, before all of them go to missing. Good Luck!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

All kinds of things can take a small bird with no trace at all.
Especially a Silkie which is not roosting high.
*****, owl, dog, cat... oh anything at all.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Foxes will carry off a bird too.


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## Mare Owner (Feb 20, 2008)

The predators will catch them and carry them off to eat somewhere else, so you won't know what it was. You could look for tracks?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I was wondering if it may be one of the cats


Domestic cats almost never bother grown chickens
My first thought was Fox, followed by Raccoon


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## TriWinkle (Oct 2, 2011)

I guess what I found odd, was that, whatever it is, seems to be preying on the smallest available...If it were an adult fox, or ****, I'd think they'd have no trouble taking one of the larger birds.


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## flewism (Apr 2, 2007)

Hawk would be my guess


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

TriWinkle said:


> I guess what I found odd, was that, whatever it is, seems to be preying on the smallest available...If it were an adult fox, or ****, I'd think they'd have no trouble taking one of the larger birds.


 
They wouldn't have trouble with a larger bird, but I'd think they would just take the first one thay came to.


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## lexa (Mar 30, 2012)

I would say it was an owl if you bird roost int the open. Hawks come at dawn and would leave some feathers behind. At least that is my experience with those birds. Also rats would target smallest ones.


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## Big Dave (Feb 5, 2006)

I too have lost birds with no indication of what took them. I have now over the last several years found a family of foxes that live in my area. I personally have never seen them. My neighbor has and the family down the road has also. I have lost six guineas in the last two months. Seems they disappear in the early morning. I Have now a routine where they are penned at night when they can be and let out around mid day. So far no one has disappeared.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

feral cats or even hungry house cats that hunt for a liveing can and do take chickens, i once lost half my flock of free range chickens and guineas that roosted in the barn at night to a family of feral cats that took up residence in one of our sheds out back, 

but it could be any number of other nasty night time critters, just dont discount the fluffy kittens deadly mamma next door,


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Possibly anything but if you dont want them to go missing, you have to lock them up at night.


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Hve yu considred leaving the dogs out at night, and putting the chickens in the house??


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