As I write this I am in Mexico. I left my birds in the care of a pet sitter. I had six silkies and five large egg layers. Two days after I arrived on vacation the pet sitter emailed me to say that she could not find four of my birds. All silkies. We live in Minnesota. They day we left there was a snow storm. I have two areas for the birds. The first is a sleeping coup and the second is the third stall of the garage. They are about 30 feet apart. All the water and food and nesting boxes is in the garage as that is where we have electricity. I told her that she would have to snovel a path from the sleeping coup to the garage as the bird hate to walk in the snow. In bad weather they just sit in the garage until it is time to go to bed then they walk to the outside coup. She said that at 7:30 they let all the birds out, fed them . Then left and came back at 4:30. They noticed that 4 silkies were gone. When I found this out at 6:00 I sent my neighbor over to see what was going on. All the remaining birds were in the garage. The was no path shoveled and the outside coup was locked. It was dark. The birds should have been. Locked in the outside coup but, I understand if the wanted to leave it open to see if the other " lost" birds would come in for the night but, the outside coup was locked up as well 
.. I thought that perhaps the silkies were hiding somewhere in the garage as they hate snow and if they did go outside thy would huddle around a bush but, there we 4-6 inches of hard snow on the ground and I don't see them wandering around searching for food. I called over some friends and the pet sitter to search for the birds the next day. They tore apart the garage and looked everywhere. Since there wasa snow on the ground they could even see if there was animal tracks..and there was none. They vanished into thin air. I cannot understand it. A fox could have taken one or two but, four? No feathers, no blood, no tracks and I honestly don't think the birds were wandering around outside. They do free range and we have never lost one to a predictor.. Then there are bald eagles in our area... But, the silkies stay under bushes.. And four? So perhaps a human came and took them? Or if the silkies were outside and somehow got locked out of there normal sleeping area.. Would they wander over a half mile to find shelter? Because my friends checked everywhere... I am going home tomorrow and my heart is just sick. I don't think I will be able to look at my flock with all those fluffy butts missing. I don't understand why or how they were taken and by what.. I am holding out that they are still coming home but, with each passing day it seems less likely. Thanks for your imput my dear chicken family. Oh and two silkie chickens were broody and in the outside sleeping coup when I left...
.. I thought that perhaps the silkies were hiding somewhere in the garage as they hate snow and if they did go outside thy would huddle around a bush but, there we 4-6 inches of hard snow on the ground and I don't see them wandering around searching for food. I called over some friends and the pet sitter to search for the birds the next day. They tore apart the garage and looked everywhere. Since there wasa snow on the ground they could even see if there was animal tracks..and there was none. They vanished into thin air. I cannot understand it. A fox could have taken one or two but, four? No feathers, no blood, no tracks and I honestly don't think the birds were wandering around outside. They do free range and we have never lost one to a predictor.. Then there are bald eagles in our area... But, the silkies stay under bushes.. And four? So perhaps a human came and took them? Or if the silkies were outside and somehow got locked out of there normal sleeping area.. Would they wander over a half mile to find shelter? Because my friends checked everywhere... I am going home tomorrow and my heart is just sick. I don't think I will be able to look at my flock with all those fluffy butts missing. I don't understand why or how they were taken and by what.. I am holding out that they are still coming home but, with each passing day it seems less likely. Thanks for your imput my dear chicken family. Oh and two silkie chickens were broody and in the outside sleeping coup when I left...
