After confirming Rita wasn't inside the coop, I searched the whole yard, checking under every structure and bush and in the overgrown ivy where the chickens sometimes hide. Dakota and our son came down to look too, but there was no sign of her--and no sign of a struggle. No pile of feathers or blood trail. Nothing.
I looked over the neighbor's fences and into the no man's land below our back yard, and Rita wasn't there, either. To be honest, I highly doubt she jumped a fence or squeezed through a hole in the gate. The chickens have never shown any interest in leaving the yard or getting too far away from their coop, even when I've (stupidly) chased them.
The last time I saw Rita was last night just before sundown. She was with the other hens, scratching around in the dirt near my garden. My son and I even spent some quiet time watching the hens free range and shooing them away from the artichoke patch.
After dark, I went down to the coop and closed the door to the run. I didn't check to make sure everyone was inside, because the idea that one of the chickens would have stayed out after dark never occurred to me. Even now, I doubt that's what happened. There would be no reason for Rita to stay out when all her chicken sisters were already settling in for the night. Chickens do not have a taste for the nightlife.
My current theory is that Rita was carried off by a hawk sometime yesterday evening. This is hard to believe--Rita is a full-sized chicken--but I have seen hawks eyeing the girls before. Once, a hawk tried to swoop down and grab one while I was in the yard with them. That attempt was unsuccessful, but maybe this time the hawk got lucky. I hope not.
Has anyone lost a chicken to a hawk before? Would there really be no sign of a struggle? And wouldn't I have heard something? I was up in my son's room, which overlooks the back yard, at the time I suspect she disappeared. I feel like there would have been a screech or a loud cluck or something if a hawk suddenly grabbed Rita. Wouldn't the other girls have made a fuss--or been skittish this morning when I let them out? Still, a hawk attack seems like the most likely scenario.
The only other explanations I can think of are (1) escape and (2) theft. These both seem pretty unlikely. I keep hoping Rita will just suddenly show up, and I haven't ruled out posting a "Missing Chicken" sign or two. I guess she might have wandered off. Maybe? Poor Rita. She is/was so young.
That is an awful feeling - we know it well.
More than once we've been beating the bushes well after sunset trying to find a hen not present at the nightly headcount. Most times, they've just wandered off and we would find them the next day - or more like they would find us. They are not prone to wandering, but sometimes they crawl under a fence, or fly over, and can't figure out how to get back home.
It is possible for a hawk or owl to just carry them off, with no signs of struggle. We've been lucky with this so far, and have only lost chickens to dog and raccoon. Our hawks seem to prefer the many voles and smaller birds we have around the yard. Many of our hens are over ten pounds. While that won't stop a hungry hawk, they don't see to prefer them.
Don't give up hope. Give her a day or so to show up. They are fairly resourceful creatures and can, if luck is on their side, survive a night outdoors.
I hope she turns up. ♥
I'm afraid you're probably right about it being a hawk. I lost two hens in exactly the same way about a month ago, also right before dusk. All that was left of one of them was a scattering of feathers, and the other had vanished with no trace. (This is not typical of any other predator.)
Mine were also big birds, but yes, the hawks do just swoop down, pluck them up, and fly off. Years ago, a neighbor a few blocks away brought back one of my hens (dead, with gouges on its back) that had been dropped in his enclosed back yard. Too heavy, I guess! Anyway, this is one of the dangers of unsupervised free-ranging.
I hope she comes back, but you shouldn't count on it. A night outdoors is no big deal, but she would almost definitely come back the next day for food. Unless---she might be broody and you'll find her sitting on a clutch of eggs in some weird dark hidey-hole. Good luck and best wishes.
We have lost a duck and a chicken to hawks before. Neither one was carried off. The hawk ate some and came back the next day, but we had removed the bodies before it could feed again. I'm sure you would have found some evidence of the attack. Feathers, blood, etc. My guess is she might have wandered off. We had one hen that just started wanting to roost in the trees after three years of roosting in a coop. I would have to find her and return her at night. This only last for a few nights, then it stopped. I would keep watch for a few days and see if she returns, especially if she might have difficulty getting back into the yard.
Any update on the missing hen?
*fingers crossed for a speedy return*
I'm sorry to hear it. I hope she turns up. :(
I was just awaked by my hens at 6am. I went down and THREE are missing - no signs of struggle either. I do have an owl living in a huge pine tree next door. I never even thought about him taking a chicken. Would it want THREE in one night though? They are all 6 month old pullets. I'm in an area with many red tailed hawks too, but never had a problem since my free range area has trees all around. Any thought?
Must be a CHICKEN HAWK. which is a red tail hawk. two of my chickens mysteriously vanished the same way, last winter and just last week. they were free ranging all day then that evening dissapeared! makes me so mad! kitty cats like to come out at night and attack them also which has happened several times but that usually leaves a pile of feathers.
One time my chicken went missing but i found it later on that day stuck in a cinderblock! i got it out of course and it was fine.
Just curious.. did you ever find your missing chicken? Just today our two only hens disappeared. I saw them last at 1:45 pm or so... noticed they were missing around 2:30.. we've had them for months and have searched everywhere... :(
One of my hens just disappeared today. She's a silkie bantam. Her name is angry hen because she so broody. I checked on my hens around 3 p.m. and all were acounted for. I came back around 6p.m. to lock them up. She wasn't there. I searched, i didn't see any feathers, blood, etc. My other hens and rooster were sleeping in their coop.
She is a tiny silkie, who doesn't lay many eggs, and is far from show quality. Three hens so far have been killed. Two from canablism, and one from a weasel. My chickens stay in the woods, and when they hear/see a hawk, the rooster starts to growl and the hens run into the thorn bushes.
Does anyone have any ideas what happened to my hen?
One of my chickens just disappeared recently.The same one was lost 3 weeks ago and I found her the next morning a few houses up.Now I've searched the whole neighborhood.My neighbors dog always chases my hens.i have only 2.hope you find your chicken.Its probably lost its way.