I have four 4 week old silkies with a broody hen living in a dog crate inside the coop. The chicks are still small enough to get out of the dog crate though the bars. They were all there yesterday morning. This morning there were only 3 chicks. The door to the coop was open this morning, so there is a possibility the chick had gotten into the run and the adults chased it out into the yard (the chicks can get through the fence in the run). This happened once before with another chick, but we found it behind the coop and took it back inside.
We checked the yard. No chirping anywhere, no feathers. If it had been our dog (if the chick got out if the run), she would've likely brought the dead chick to us and be really proud about catching it. Same with our cats, although our cats have never been interested in chicks. My coop has gaps on both ends where the wavy roof meets the wooden wall. My theory is rats. Maybe a rat took the chick at night and dragged it out of the dog crate and then out of the coop? Because it seriously seems like the chick disappeared into thin air.
I'm going to stuff those gaps in the coop with old fabric, towels, pillowcases and stuff.
What could it have been and how would I make sure it won't happen again?
We checked the yard. No chirping anywhere, no feathers. If it had been our dog (if the chick got out if the run), she would've likely brought the dead chick to us and be really proud about catching it. Same with our cats, although our cats have never been interested in chicks. My coop has gaps on both ends where the wavy roof meets the wooden wall. My theory is rats. Maybe a rat took the chick at night and dragged it out of the dog crate and then out of the coop? Because it seriously seems like the chick disappeared into thin air.
I'm going to stuff those gaps in the coop with old fabric, towels, pillowcases and stuff.
What could it have been and how would I make sure it won't happen again?