Chicks disappeared without a trace.

[Top Rooster]

I had a broody hen with 3 chicks in a little sectioned off part of the chicken pin. It had been raining and I went to go check on the chicks and two of them were missing and I had no idea how they had gone missing. I can’t think of any predators that would have got them because it was raining and cats wouldn’t be around to hunt them, it wasn’t a fox or something like that because it would have gotten the hen and caused a commotion with the other chickens, it can’t be a hawk because the chicks would have been tucked under their mom during the rain like the one chick was when I checked on them. There is also no noticeable difference in pen that they were in and I thought it was secure enough. I really am dumbfounded as to what got the chicks and why it didn’t get the third or the hen.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Pictures of your setup would be helpful. What type of wire do you use? Hardware clothe or chicken wire?

 

[snow5164]

Exactly what I was thinking.. chicken wire .. they’re squeezing through and gone , chicks are like mice they look big , but they can fit threw the smallest holes ,

Hope you find them

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Praying that your babies return!!!!!

 

[cmom]

Game cameras are wonderful. If you have one put it up where your broody is and see what happens.

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

I would check for places a snake could get through, snakes can hear chicks and that brings them slithering for a meal. We had a broody that lost all of the eggs she was hatching, the snake heard the pipping sound and came in, managed to get in the coop through the high doorway and ate all the eggs from underneath the hen. I found two snakes in the coop that next morning and dispatched them.

 

[NurseJane]

Exactly what I was thinking.. chicken wire .. they’re squeezing through and gone , chicks are like mice they look big , but they can fit threw the smallest holes ,

Hope you find them

I always have to off-set and double up the chicken wire to prevent escapes or use a fine mesh bird wire.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My guesses are that the chicks escaped and couldn't find their way back in or a snake got them.
I've had chicks disappear from time to time. There's no way to know the cause positively without visual evidence.

 

[RWise]

Does sound like a snake got in,,,
and hungry cats will hunt in the rain,,,

 

[cmom]

A couple of weeks ago when I went out to collect eggs there was a snake next to a nest box. I got it out but it got away.