We are missing a chick. One of the small ones (1 week old) was no where to be seen when I gathered the little guys to come in the house for overnight cooping. I put 5 out this morning, we had a crazy thunderstorm come through when I was running errands. My husband and kids gathered up the chicks (and dogs) to wait out the storm inside. They were all back out in the coop (the chicks not the dogs) and run pecking away at the muddy ground when I returned home. I do not know for sure that all 5 went in and out during the storm, I was not home. My step daughter (age 14 and VERY honest and trustworthy) went in the run after dinner to pet the chicks, she is certain they were all in there. I joined her in the coop, but just to poke around and tidy up. We left the coop together (the chicks generally do not go near the coop/run door until the sun starts to set and they want to go to bed, I do not believe any of my total 7 chickens ran out unnoticed at this time. The other kids were in the back yard swimming.
I have one kid (age 12) whose where abouts are a bit sketchy. This kid also has a bad habit of not being honest, and doing things she knows she is not supposed to do. I don't know, I worry that maybe she went in the coop/run alone which is a big no no, and one of the chicks got out. Later in the same evening the same kid went in the dog run on the other side of the house to retrieve a ball she had kicked in there. Also a big no no as each of the dogs out weigh her by at least 10-15 lbs and it is very difficult to get out of the dog run without a dog running lol. I asked each kid (4 of mine + a neighbor kid) if they were in the coop. I already know that 3 were in the pool and one was on the sofa reading. But I still asked them all the same questions. One kid claimed to have seen the other in the coop, but retracted this claim an hour later.
I'm just so upset. There is no where in the run to wedge into or escape from. I saw to this myself when I decided to let the babies out with the bigger ones during the day. We looked everywhere. The whole neighborhood.
I don't want to believe my kid did this on purpose, although it's possible. I don't know where else a chick in a enclosed coop in a yard enclosed with a 6 foot privacy fence would go. Heck the little guys get separate from one another for a second and the chirp super loud until they are back together. I will be back out there first thing in the morning to poke around again. I am kicking myself for not bringing them in when I saw the storm clouds approaching.
Thanks for letting me vent. I'm very upset that I've lost a chick, but even more upset that my kid may or may not have allowed this to happen.
I have one kid (age 12) whose where abouts are a bit sketchy. This kid also has a bad habit of not being honest, and doing things she knows she is not supposed to do. I don't know, I worry that maybe she went in the coop/run alone which is a big no no, and one of the chicks got out. Later in the same evening the same kid went in the dog run on the other side of the house to retrieve a ball she had kicked in there. Also a big no no as each of the dogs out weigh her by at least 10-15 lbs and it is very difficult to get out of the dog run without a dog running lol. I asked each kid (4 of mine + a neighbor kid) if they were in the coop. I already know that 3 were in the pool and one was on the sofa reading. But I still asked them all the same questions. One kid claimed to have seen the other in the coop, but retracted this claim an hour later.
I'm just so upset. There is no where in the run to wedge into or escape from. I saw to this myself when I decided to let the babies out with the bigger ones during the day. We looked everywhere. The whole neighborhood.
I don't want to believe my kid did this on purpose, although it's possible. I don't know where else a chick in a enclosed coop in a yard enclosed with a 6 foot privacy fence would go. Heck the little guys get separate from one another for a second and the chirp super loud until they are back together. I will be back out there first thing in the morning to poke around again. I am kicking myself for not bringing them in when I saw the storm clouds approaching.
Thanks for letting me vent. I'm very upset that I've lost a chick, but even more upset that my kid may or may not have allowed this to happen.
