Ok. I put 5 silkies out. 2 were killed. 2 are MIA and little Widget was found hiding. I thought it was a raccoon or opossum. I completely tore down old pen and re done it. Cement in the ground and all. No way was anything getting into my birds again. I even built a nice cozy coop and covered the whole area. Coop top too. Since raccoons have nimble little hands, I put something on the gate AND the coop door. This is actually my grow out pen. So after making sure nothing can get in or out, I brought 9 little ones out. My little bo's and my one cochin, and a little black one and of course Widget.
Being paranoid as I am sometimes, I went checking on them about every 15 minutes. They are scratching and having a good chicken time. Even Widget who is now scared of open spaces. It gets dark and I continue to check. All is fine. Everyone is put up and the little latch thingies are in place. No way anything is going to happen.
About 1 a.m. my BIL comes and wakes me and tells me I need to come out to the pen. I go out and I lost my mind. My babies bodies were strewn all over the pen.
The first one I come to was my buddy Molly. I start cleaning up (they were still warm) and I noticed that there was maybe one still alive. I had only counted 8.
I start searching and in the coop, hidden in the corner all scrunched down was my little Widget. This poor silkie saw me and flew to me ( as best as a scared silkie can fly) and since I was bent down went for my hair. I finally got Widget out of my hair and brought him/her back into the house and into the brooder.
I went out today and there was no holes in the fence, nothing had tried to dig under it. No scratches where the latch was. The latch thing I used was one of those thing ( i can't remember the name) but you have to take your thumb and push it in, then take it off.
My fil thinks he knows what happened and to be honest, it is the only thing that fits. I am so hurt and mad. I don't know if I want to raise anymore. And I have 10 2 week olds and 4 more almost ready to go out. And of course Widget. I don't know what to do.
Being paranoid as I am sometimes, I went checking on them about every 15 minutes. They are scratching and having a good chicken time. Even Widget who is now scared of open spaces. It gets dark and I continue to check. All is fine. Everyone is put up and the little latch thingies are in place. No way anything is going to happen.
About 1 a.m. my BIL comes and wakes me and tells me I need to come out to the pen. I go out and I lost my mind. My babies bodies were strewn all over the pen.
I went out today and there was no holes in the fence, nothing had tried to dig under it. No scratches where the latch was. The latch thing I used was one of those thing ( i can't remember the name) but you have to take your thumb and push it in, then take it off.
My fil thinks he knows what happened and to be honest, it is the only thing that fits. I am so hurt and mad. I don't know if I want to raise anymore. And I have 10 2 week olds and 4 more almost ready to go out. And of course Widget. I don't know what to do.
