My RIR vanished into their air yesterday afternoon. I walked all over the yard & the neighborhood but found nothing; then I drove around hoping to spot her- nothing. I've hung signs but I don't have any hope of seeing her again
There wasn't a single feather to be found anywhere, no body, no signs of any attack. It was mid-day so it prob would've been a hawk if anything, and I've seen a hawk take out a dove- feathers go everywhere. 'Doubtful a hawk took her without loosing a single feather or leaving a mark in the dirt. Plus, the other pullets were perfectly at ease, not nervous, spread out away from each other scratching about- so I've pretty-much ruled out predation.
This RIR was VERY nervous and never wanted to be out of sight from the others. Even if she HAD been spooked and flown (leaf-blower noise, etc), she would've come right back within five minutes. I'm positive she didn't just fly away. Not her MO. At any rate, if she had been spooked, she would've at least been back at dusk to roost. No show. She's GONE.
Our landscapers came yesterday. Less than an hr before they showed up, all 4 birds were outside. About an hr after they left, I went out to take some chopped greens and she was GONE. Not a sign of her. The last two times the LS had come, the birds had all been locked in the coop so the noise wouldn't spook them off. This time, I left them out because they've seemed to have settled into our yard & the routine. I feel guilty because I suspect the LS (who've been great & never done anything questionable EVER!)- because the first time he saw the birds he seemed very interested and asked a lot of questions, and now they were out for the first time, and the disappearance timing seems suspicious....
I called him yesterday to ask him if he may've seen what happened and he stammered around saying he only saw 2 birds. Today, unable to stop myself, I've left one final message with him basically pleading with him for any information he might have, no questions asked, and apologizing that it sounded like I was accusing him.
I feel like SUCH AN ASS, both for what happened to the poor bird & for questioning the LS guys, but something bad's happened to MY PET! She's a PET not farm poultry! I thought maybe if he really knew what happened to RIR and he heard how upset I was- that I thought of her as a pet & not just poultry- maybe he'd drive by and toss her back over into the yard or something, you know, at night or when no one's around. (I know, I'm delusional)
I know she's gone but it's really bothering me not knowing if she's out there being mistreated by someone.
How else could she have disappeared? Any other ideas?
This is a very upsetting situation all around...
Thank you for any advice or suggestions....
There wasn't a single feather to be found anywhere, no body, no signs of any attack. It was mid-day so it prob would've been a hawk if anything, and I've seen a hawk take out a dove- feathers go everywhere. 'Doubtful a hawk took her without loosing a single feather or leaving a mark in the dirt. Plus, the other pullets were perfectly at ease, not nervous, spread out away from each other scratching about- so I've pretty-much ruled out predation.
This RIR was VERY nervous and never wanted to be out of sight from the others. Even if she HAD been spooked and flown (leaf-blower noise, etc), she would've come right back within five minutes. I'm positive she didn't just fly away. Not her MO. At any rate, if she had been spooked, she would've at least been back at dusk to roost. No show. She's GONE.
Our landscapers came yesterday. Less than an hr before they showed up, all 4 birds were outside. About an hr after they left, I went out to take some chopped greens and she was GONE. Not a sign of her. The last two times the LS had come, the birds had all been locked in the coop so the noise wouldn't spook them off. This time, I left them out because they've seemed to have settled into our yard & the routine. I feel guilty because I suspect the LS (who've been great & never done anything questionable EVER!)- because the first time he saw the birds he seemed very interested and asked a lot of questions, and now they were out for the first time, and the disappearance timing seems suspicious....
I called him yesterday to ask him if he may've seen what happened and he stammered around saying he only saw 2 birds. Today, unable to stop myself, I've left one final message with him basically pleading with him for any information he might have, no questions asked, and apologizing that it sounded like I was accusing him.
I feel like SUCH AN ASS, both for what happened to the poor bird & for questioning the LS guys, but something bad's happened to MY PET! She's a PET not farm poultry! I thought maybe if he really knew what happened to RIR and he heard how upset I was- that I thought of her as a pet & not just poultry- maybe he'd drive by and toss her back over into the yard or something, you know, at night or when no one's around. (I know, I'm delusional)
I know she's gone but it's really bothering me not knowing if she's out there being mistreated by someone.
How else could she have disappeared? Any other ideas?
This is a very upsetting situation all around...
