lost chicks and chickens

[SteveBaz]

to the BYC

I am so sorry about your loss!

Maybe you can put the 1 hen with the others you gave to your friend temporary or permanently for right now?

Get the coop in order. Are you sure there was no digging? Do you have the coop wired underneath? How big is the wire on the sides of the coop? How did whatever get them out of the coop if there was no forced entry? No blood, no mischief, no obvious entry or exit? Somethings does not add up here? You do not mention anything regarding the coops being breached? That is where you must start. Pictures all around for us to see too? Your 20 year old just isnt coping up to something? At all or is just saying like all kids I dont know?

 

[Dutchess]

So sorry to hear of your loss.

I know how you feel, believe me! We have a "fort knox" built for our chickens and now I can finally relax, a little. But, to hear of your chickens "disappearing" from your $800.00 run, yikes!
You need another chicken for the one you have left, in my opinion. I would tell the woman what happened and either ask her if she could find it in her heart to give you a chicken back, or to take the chicken you have left. I dont' think it hurts to ask, right? If it were me and I had the chickens, I would let you have one!

 

[Ole rooster]

Go back to the begining. Remember the places in the coop where the chicks can't fit in order to get out is not the purpose of filling those spots. Some fences are to keep things in. Some are to keep things out. You've got the "keep things out" situation here. That was you first mistake.

Did you look at your coop as predator proof? If not you have real issues to correct.

The 20 year old, wow, what a problem you have there. If he was lax enough to let his own dog get picked up by the pound, what else did he let go? He may be a good boy and never gives you a headache, but he's not very responsible. That will probably come with maturity

We all feel for you and the loss of the chickens. That is a terrible was to come home from a trip. All you have to do now is to fix the problems and get some more chicks. 10 days is to much time for me to be away from mine. I've canceled things the wife and I were going to do because of the chickens. This might be silly to some but since I've assumed responsibility for my chickens and I just won't leave it to anybody to look after them. But that's just me.

Best of luck going forward.