Pretty devastated. Lost all 3 of my pretty, friendly little Orps to what neighbor and I think was probably one or more coyote overnight. It was something big/strong enough to pull one of the coop doors up, ripping right THROUGH the hook-and-eye closures (two, one at each end!) that I *thought* would keep them safe, and it got 1 out of the 3 inside the coop and made off with the other 2. Neighbor and I just got done burying what was left of the one in the coop.
Neighbor is an elderly, mostly-retired farmer who has lived in this valley all his life and at one point owned most of it. He agrees with me, after viewing the coop damage, that it was either coyote or possibly even a bobcat. He said one has been sighted in this area, but he thinks coyote much more likely.
I did the best I could to keep them safe and it wasn't good enough, so I'm feeling pretty bad at the moment. Only thing I'm hanging onto at the moment is a quote from someone on here, ages ago, who said that if something wants to get in badly enough, it's going to get in...
Just came for tea & sympathy really. It's been a long sad day.
I'm not going to get any more chickens until I have an actual barn to put them in.
Neighbor is an elderly, mostly-retired farmer who has lived in this valley all his life and at one point owned most of it. He agrees with me, after viewing the coop damage, that it was either coyote or possibly even a bobcat. He said one has been sighted in this area, but he thinks coyote much more likely.
I did the best I could to keep them safe and it wasn't good enough, so I'm feeling pretty bad at the moment. Only thing I'm hanging onto at the moment is a quote from someone on here, ages ago, who said that if something wants to get in badly enough, it's going to get in...
Just came for tea & sympathy really. It's been a long sad day.
I'm not going to get any more chickens until I have an actual barn to put them in.
