- Sep 21, 2011
- 7
- 0
- 7
I am so sad. I let my three, two-month old chickens out to roam around a bit when I got home from work around 5:00 last night, like I have been doing for a few weeks now because they love it so much. We live up in the Oakland Hills and have a large, fenced in yard with a couple of different levels and the chickens had gotten a bit bolder each day, exploring and going a little bit farther from the coop. So I spent some time with them like I usually do before coming back in to change. I guess I was letting my guard down a little because it seemed like they were so happy and I was so close by... and I had the back door open and I could see out into the backyard from the window, so I didn't think anything could happen. I was upstairs for maybe 15 minutes and kept looking out the window, checking to see that they were okay, when all of a sudden something just seemed off. Really quiet and weird. So I came downstairs and two of my chickens (Cindy, a Buff Brahma and Midge, a Barred Plymouth Rock) were laying right next to the open back door, they seemed terrified and were really quiet, even when they saw me. My heart sank because Stella (another Barred Rock and the fearless leader of the pack), was not with them. I looked around frantically, hoping that maybe Stella had flown over the fence and would hear me if I called out. Nothing but eerie silence. So I went all the way up to the back of the fence where I immediately spotted a pile of feathers and a bobcat a few feet away. It was just so shocking. Stella had been so boisterous and happy when I came home. Now it's so sad and the other chickens seem kind of lost without her because they were always following her lead. And to top it off, the bobcat has already been back 3 times this morning, scaring the chickens and looking for more. Needless to say, the chickens are staying in the coop. And a Wildlife Animal Control specialist is coming this afternoon to catch the bobcat and take it away.
RIP Stella. I'm so sorry I didn't protect you.
RIP Stella. I'm so sorry I didn't protect you.