I had a woman in a similar circumstance. She bought some birds from me and insisted on free ranging them. They all eventually were taken by predators and she came back to me for more birds and I told her that if she free ranged these would probably get taken too and they were. After selling her some birds for a third time and again the birds were taken and she came back for more birds, I told her that I didn't have any for sale. She showed up at our farm swap and attempted to buy some birds from a friend of mine. She picked out some and asked my friend to hold them for her and that she would be back for them. She didn't pay him anything and didn't come back for hours. We were getting ready to leave and someone came by looking for some birds so my friend sold the birds since she never gave him a deposit to hold the birds and he had another buyer and we were getting ready to leave. As we were packing up the woman came back. Boy was she angry and really pitching a fit that my friend had sold the birds. Then I told him about my experiences with her and he was glad then that he didn't sell them to her. She was a witch. Luckily she has only been back a couple of times since, but we haven't seen her now for quite a long time.Thanks everyone. Raccoon seems to be the consensus, and it makes sense. After more questioning, I realized how little information he picked up from me or even looked up. I had given him all of my silkies (8-9), a pair of black tailed buff japanese and a couple of huge Olive egger cockrels. They were all wiped out in one night. He said he had some roosts, but they wouldn't all use them. I had to tell him that silkies need other protection as they Can't Fly! He said they liked to huddle up on the ground. Ugh. Now he wants to raise some from TSC.They don't like to huddle on the ground! You have to give them a safe place off the ground with a way to get there! He wont get another bird from me! Ever!
He said that he never saw a single egg from any of them either. I said that he was probably feeding some snakes or rats. All of those birds would have turned a year old this month. We didn't get eggs until late summer/fall from the same age birds that I kept. I asked what he was feeding them. "Cracked corn and some layer mash" Ugh.
Encourage him to join BYC before he gets more birds to get up to date of care and shelter etc for your.. ehh...his birds.Thanks everyone. Raccoon seems to be the consensus, and it makes sense. After more questioning, I realized how little information he picked up from me or even looked up. I had given him all of my silkies (8-9), a pair of black tailed buff japanese and a couple of huge Olive egger cockrels. They were all wiped out in one night. He said he had some roosts, but they wouldn't all use them. I had to tell him that silkies need other protection as they Can't Fly! He said they liked to huddle up on the ground. Ugh. Now he wants to raise some from TSC.
He said that he never saw a single egg from any of them either. I said that he was probably feeding some snakes or rats. All of those birds would have turned a year old this month. We didn't get eggs until late summer/fall from the same age birds that I kept. I asked what he was feeding them. "Cracked corn and some layer mash" Ugh.
