RIP April

[PearlTheDuck]

Today my precious hen layed her last egg, breathed her last breath, she was only 7 months old. Sometime at dusk tonight a predator was able to snatch her away, we have our birds free range through our whole fenced backyard, on the other side is mostly deep woods, 2 acres of it. After we realized she was gone We started looking around the other side of the fence for any signs of her death and not far from the fence we found insides, obviously hers. Just an hour before she went missing I was loving on her, and just like that, she's gone. She had such a special personalty, she could make us laugh by making all these weird noises. I keep hoping I will look outside and she will be there, She was one of my favorite hens and I can't believe she's gone


RIP April, my beloved bird, you are greatly missed

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sorry for your loss

 

[PearlTheDuck]

Sorry for your loss 

Thank you

This is the first bird I've lost to a predator, I lost one bird when it was a week old chick (broken leg and had to be put down, wasn't a big deal but was still difficult, we only had her a couple days), I lost my beloved duck pete, he was hatched with neurological issues and had to be put down at 2 months old because he was having 3+ seizures an hour, and I lost my first flock at a few weeks old in 2011 to Mareks (the flock i have now is my second flock, I got them at the end of March and I consider this my first flock because the actual first ones I got only lived a few weeks and when I got them I knew nothing about chickens, when I got the flock i have now i sat for hours reading on stuff, and i continue learning from my experiences)

I know it sounds stupid but I didn't think I would lose a bird like this, because I've left them out late when I've been out running errands and nothing happened and once I tried ridding of an aggressive roo (aggressive towards the hens and us. No one would take him) by putting him in the back of our woods multiple times and nothing took him.

Sorry for somewhat ranting, I'm just kind of shocked and sad ( sorry if I'm overreacting, I know, it's a bird, people lose much worse, but I can't help getting so attached to each bird, they have their unique personalitys and are smarter then some people think, and I've had a special thing for animals my whole life, I once tamed a feral cat, took months but I did it)

 

[FlyWheel]

A significant number of fowl predators (pun intended) are nocturnal, hunting at dusk and/or dark. However safe your flock may seem during the day, especially when a human is actually there watching them, they should never be considered 100% safe at night.
Sorry to hear of your loss, Let us at least hope it was quick.

 

[PearlTheDuck]

 A significant number of fowl predators (pun intended) are nocturnal, hunting at dusk and/or dark. However safe your flock may seem during the day, especially when a human is actually there watching them, they should never be considered 100% safe at night.
Sorry to hear of your loss, Let us at least hope it was quick. 

Thank you


I am definitely going to start taking extra precautions to keep them as safe as possible when it starts to get dark

 

[chickenparot]

I'm truly sorry for your loss.

 

[b.hromada]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

She is a beautiful girl.

 

[PearlTheDuck]

I'm truly sorry for your loss. 

I'm so sorry for your loss.     She is a beautiful girl.

Thank you


For whatever reason predators have been bad lately, I've had two hawks swoop down and try to take my other birds. I'm thinking this dog that's been hanging around might of got April, it's a shepherd breed and I've cought it trying to jump my fence to get my birds, the past few days every evening it comes over and hangs around or tries to get into my trash. April loved to get out of the yard and forage, even though she has a big yard to forage around (we have two acres in the country and she never left our property, she just liked to get out of the fenced in yard and go in the front yard or in the outer part of our woods) something got her when she was out of the yard (I think) and I've got to find a way to keep the others in the yard (I want to keep them free ranging our yard)

It has definitely not been the same without her, any time I go out there I can tell something is missing I've raised all my birds since 1 day old chicks so when one gets killed it's just a punch in the gut

 

[chickenparot]

I understand what you're saying. If we didn't care about the animals that God has given us to care for, then we'd be most pitiable. Having love and compassion just shows us the tenderness of our heart. I believe you'll be with April again someday. My thoughts and prayers are with you. God bless your heart!

 

[PearlTheDuck]

I understand what you're saying. If we didn't care about the animals that God has given us to care for, then we'd be most pitiable. Having love and compassion just shows us the tenderness of our heart. I believe you'll be with April again someday. My thoughts and prayers are with you. God bless your heart!

Agreed

Sadly We found out the dog did kill April
I would have felt better knowing a wild animal got her and ate her than a dog mauling her to death and leaving her