At lunchtime yesterday, all four ladies were foraging out in the yard. I stood out on the deck and said hi to them, and then went inside to get Niko ready for school. He got on the bus at 12:35, as usual. As I was walking back up the driveway, I noticed something different by the bushes next to our fence. Figuring it was trash blown from somewhere, I went to go get it. Except I got closer, and saw this:
Except, we never found them. Hanky was clearly taken by a fox-- the pile of feathers is a giveaway. We figured that the other three had gotten scared (for obvious reasons) and had hidden in the woods. We walked all over the place, calling out their names, but we didn't hear so much as a rustle in the undergrowth. Eventually, we stopped looking, and hoped they would find their way back to the coop at night, as they always do. Their instincts are strong-- they know where home is!
Only they never came home. And while I had hoped to wake up to the clucking and squawking sounds they make when they lay their eggs in the morning, it didn't happen. They are gone. :(
Even if they survived the initial fox attack, I would be shocked if they made it through the night in the woods. We have foxes, coyotes, fisher cats, bears, hawks, raccoons... the odds just aren't in their favor.
We are still holding onto the tiniest shreds of hope... Maybe they DID make it through the night. Maybe they are just lost! Maybe they found someone who took them in? We have no idea. The only feathers we ever saw were Hanky's.
Anyway, we are devastated by the loss of our sweet chickens. We will probably get some more, once Gus makes the much-needed renovations on our coop and run area that will allow them to semi-free range (with the protection of fencing). But until then... Rest in peace, Hanky, Leia, Crispy, and Barbie. You will be missed terribly by our little family. :( :(
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