Ok friends, I need help. Predator attacks never cease here apparently. This morning, my first day off in 7 days, and I let chickens of all ages out of their pens and coops to get a little free range time. I am in my kitchen when I start hearing a ruckus. Roxy, the furchild, starts going crazy and I grab the .22 and run out the door barefoot. Two foxes are tearing into my flock. I shoot and they run, but I notice a young cockerel is dead and one of my last Silkies is gone. The rest of the young ones made it to safety. I go looking for the big kids now and I'm still hearing squaking. I go over to the woods and a fox has my line Ayam Cemani, I shoot, it lets her go and runs. This poor girl. She is the one that had feathers ripped out by the landlord's dog and flew in the house. She must be made of something tough because there isn't a scratch on her that I can see. I found a white leghorn's feather pile, so that's another loss. The other white leghorn is in the woods and I get her to go back into the coop. Next I see my lone Marans rooster dead. And then I have a BLRW and splash Sumatra unaccounted for. I am PRAYING that they are hidden somewhere and will come out later.
We have been doing so good since I put up the fence and installed the door. The one day I'm home and this happens right under my nose. So after a jaunt through the woods and locking everyone back up, sitting on the patio with the .22 in hopes that the foxes come back, it starts raining. I brought my lone Silkie inside for today...put some food and water out for it and let it get acquainted with the living room. "It" turns out to be a he! He started crowing, ok, well, trying...pretty rusty at this point. This is the Silkie that when the hatching day was here and it was the first one out, my DF was over and had accidentally flipped the light switch, which turned off the incubator. When I went to check hatching progress and noticed everything was cold, turned things back on and held this baby in front of a heater and rubbed it back to life. (3 others out of 7 had made it) so this little guy is special.
The help I am asking for is if anyone Indy or lower has any Silkies - doesn't matter what color or quality - available, and doesn't matter the age. He is already confused and lonely, calling out for his friends. I am off all weekend and can meet wherever. I am definitely willing to pay for birds, but don't want to break the bank. I assure whoever has them, that I will take good care of them. I already have a plan of action for the Silkie coop to be more secure. Thanks and I will check in later!
*also cross posting on Facebook BYC for any available Silkies.
