6 Missing Chickens - E. Valley View Area
We are missing 6 of our chickens in the East Valley View area of town. If you see them, call me 973-713-3852.
-2 don't look a lot like chickens, more like gulls -1 is white one is speckled with
black and grey
-4 are red.
MissingChicks I'm curious as to how they went missing? Were they in a closed pen overnight and you found the door opened? Do they just wonder free in a gated area? I'm just wondering if you think they were stolen, escaped or maybe a an animals meal.
villani 
Val Gina Down to 5 missing. They are penned 100% of the time. The gate was closed last night. This morning it was wide open. I can only speculate on how it got opened.
Chickadee Good luck finding them!
When my girls escape they like to find a mulched flower bed to scratch in.
hktownie Keep us updated. Hope they return. My advice...I would keep the pen locked up now. I just don't trust people. I used to have chickens but they never traveled that far as to where I couldn't find them...don't they normally stay somewhat close to their pen? I hope it wasn't some punk kids playing around or like the above person said...a annoyed neighbor.
skippy Yes, please do keep us updated. I can't imagine why anyone would open someone else's chicken pen! Unless you have 6 *roosters,* I don't know why any neighbor would be annoyed, either. Chickens (hens, at least) are quiet, peaceful birds.
Rebecka Maybe they smell, maybe they attract rats? Rats attract snakes. Why would you want farm animals in a residential neighborhood?
ignatz 
Mr.M why don't you live in east jersey ignatz? :)
good luck finding your hens, if they escaped looking for freedom maybe try letting them free range during the day and locking them up in the evening.
heni peniIgnatz, you've obviously had little experience with chickens. They neither smell nor attract rats. We're in rural Jersey here. If a person wants to keep chickens, they certainly should, and should not have to answer snide comments like yours.
Yesterday there were whole trees down after the night's storm. The gate could have been opened by the wind for all we know. No use jumping to conclusions.
GC Poor chickens. about 3 months ago I found some type of bird eaten with just feather and bones left in my yard and then saw a fox shoot out. Scared the crap out of me. Went back the next day and the bones were gone but the feathers were still there.
I have not seen them but did see a wild turkey today in the yard. that was a first.
Christine Like GC mentioned, the wind could have been the issue. My 6' stockade fence's gate ended up being open several times and I couldn't figure why it was happening at first, especially because it meant I had to keep checking out the window on one side of the house before letting the dog out on the other side, just to make sure he couldn't get out. Of course that was after I heard him barking to let him in and went to the usual door to let him in, but found he wasn't there. He actually came right up to the front door. Smart guy - thank goodness, or he could have wandered. The flex in the fence itself with directional high winds would lift, unlatch and open the gate!
It could also be possible that the chickens themselves have learned to open the latch, depending on construction of your pen, etc. They've been known to be able to do that in some cases!
I definitely agree with putting up a hidden game or other type cam to see who or what is responsible for opening the gate!
Phil D. Rebecka,
My comment was not meant to be snide it was a fact. The chickens themselves do not attract rats the feed and feces does.
heni peni,
Your comment was uncalled for and immature in my opinion.
Phil has a point. On my aunt's farm, there was a rooster constantly opening up the coop's gate. Hopefully they came back to roost last night.
ladeevee 
Andrew's Mom A raccoon could also have opened the latch. They are amazingly dexterous, determined, and very interested in chickens.
None came back last night. We locked up the 5 in their house and left the pen open hoping they'd come back to roost and my husband checked at 4:30 am but no such luck. We'll keep our eyes peeled for them... in the meantime, we now have a padlock on the pen.
my98vr6 At this time I'm not looking to add new ones to the mix. As is, one of the 5 that I did get back was sexed incorrectly and is a rooster and needs to go shortly. Just wish I knew what happened to the rest.
Missing Chicks - did you see *any* signs of distress in the coop/pen or around your property - like feathers on the ground?
Oh, so you did have a rooster?! I just hope it wasn't an annoyed neighbor...that would be down right low. Has anyone ever complained about the noise?
Villani, the rooster is too young to be annoying. I know he's a rooster by his comb and wattle. I don't keep roosters, I even find them annoying for a small neighborhood and wouldn't do that to my neighbors - he'll be gone soon enough. These chickens are only 12 weeks old (my 4 older ones are in a separate pen and never left).
Rebecka, there were feathers outside the cage from one of the birds (most were red or black... we had 1 that was white, and the white feathers are what was outside the pen). So sad.
Shoebie There was a lone chicken walking around near the Bosniak center on 46 this evening.
2cutedoggies 
Trop 
If you see one on Bilby, round it up and drop it off at Calico Flowers. Probably an escapee. ;-)
Shoebie - Those chickens belong to the family who lives across from the park. They sell the eggs as you can see their sign hanging from their mailbox.
I saw a red chicken at a house near the corner of Airport and Rockford. Just left of the intersection, at the house next to the big farm. Only caught a quick glance, as the house is not lived in and the grass is very high. Might belong to the farm. Might be an escapee. Free roaming chickens are a way of life around here, so I can't just assume it is the escapee.
maja "Free roaming chickens are a way of life around here"
So why can't they free roam over to my street?? I've got a pot and few Godlewsky vegetables with their name on it. ;-)
maja - I've got neighbors now who are going around scratching their heads asking me WTF I'm saying while I walk the middle of the street. If I don't get a fowl in my stew pot soon, I think there's some psychiatric professional trying to track my moves and capture me instead. Chicken or Thorazine, I'll let you know which wins...
lol good luck! It would make a great youtube video! There's always Shoprite, if what the neighbors think matters.
Commenting is no longer available.