Turns out it might be the great dane from the next acreage over. He runs amok over and around here a lot. He never barks. And i can see him catching a chicken and running off with it home to play with it until it dies.
I came home from shopping today and the dane was across the street picking...
In the past two days, i have seen coopers hawks, red tails, tiny falcons, a goshawk, and just this morning a very large male northern harrier. Ugh. I just feel awful!
I know. They've found a docile buffet. I'm on the edge of a state park where wildlife is crazy abundant. They stay in for the next few days, and a game camera is on it's way.
Total possibility with this 7 acre hay meadow. Penny was our....how to put it....not the smartest hen in the coop. Not the freshest sandwich in the picnic basket, brightest bulb in the box......
We had a free range 16 week old go missing between 4 and 445pm today. We've walked the whole 7 acres, looked in what few trees we have, looked in drain pipes, checked the wood pile, under the coop, up in the run, the out building.....checked for tracks......nothing.
We found 5 downey butt...