I've been running the dog out around where we found her feathers, all day yesterday and will do all day today, too. The girls were not happy with me, but I didn't let them free-range until about 5 pm yesterday so they wouldn't be as tempted to wander so far. My biggest fear is that it was a fox, based on timing and the lack of evidence left behind. I'm hoping regular refreshing of dog scent out there will help as a deterrent. We've never had fox problems (save for a suspiciously similar loss last year, where Tiwhiri was taken and nothing but feathers remained), and I'd always contributed that to the fact that we'd always had 4 dogs or more until recently. Well, we've been down to just one dog for the past couple years and it seems my theory could have some weight to it after all.
I miss that bird. What a pest she was, but I would never have traded her nosiness away for anything! She was the first to hatch out of that batch and boy did she come out of her egg with an attitude! I knew from the get-go that she'd be a force to be reckoned with. She was the chick I posed with the chicken statues a few times, and she always had such an indignant look when I did. As an adult, she remained quite the personality, even if she did forget her own strength when pecking at my knees for my attention. Goodness, it sure feels like there's a whole lot more than just one bird missing from the flock.
Anyway... Other occurrences these days.
This morning, I awoke to Reinette crowing. Dignified, regal, ladylike Reinette...
crowing.
And, not to shame her for her efforts, but it wasn't even a good crow, more a string of loosely connected honks.
Crazy bird.
I did end up moving her to the pack'n'play that I had had the OEGBs in during the winter. I kept puzzling over what to do with her while she healed, since the baby bin was just too small for an active, full sized, large fowl hen. Then, it hit me--DUH--I have a better pen for that!
So Reinette is better accommodated while she heals. I never got around to taking her outside for a visit last weekend, but I was just thinking this morning that it might be a good idea to ensure that she's not forgotten. Her wound has hardened over, so I think she's safe from pecking, at least.
Last update I have to post today is that Elly has begun her annual molt as of this morning. Here's hoping for a repeat of last year, when she for once didn't have crop issues during her molt!
You have such beautiful birds! ♥ I checked out your pages with all the pics and they are soooo beautiful!
I definitely don't blame you for skipping to the end! It's mostly just four years of me rambling to myself about this or that. 
Too bad 
