I got home late tonight. I had gone by the tattoo shop after work to talk to one of my friends, and ended up staying there well after the new day rollled over. I asked my mother to do me one favor, go by and lock up the coops. (This was asked of her LONG before dark.) she said okay, she would, and that my grandpa would be there when I got home. Okay, cool. Gonna work on the truck with him tomorrow. I pulled into my driveway and down a trail of slewn body parts. Carcusses, and one very upset Blue puppy. He seemed frantic, running back and forth, barking, riling up my other two dogs. My grandpa is almost completely deaf, and was asleep on the couch, didn't hear a thing. I woke him up when I made a mad dash into the house for the .22 and a light.
The preteen coop was WIDE open. One chick was huddled in a corner, four more outside huddled against the house, and two under the coop where I can't get to them. I only found the remaints of 11 chicks, all OVER the yard... Body parts to possibly 6 more. Okay, so there's less than half of my preteens. I'm supposed to have 45 chicks in there... Where ARE they?
I thought it was Blue, and scolded him greatly, only to witness one of my barn cats running off with a half eaten, still warm chick. Culprit found, culprit dead. My other tom cat was lurking close by covered in chick bood, he's now gone, too. I'm so MAD. Most of these birds were sold, to be picked up tomorrow and Saturday. Now I have to call the buyers first thing and let them know... But I'm going to wait til daylight to see if any more chicks show up. Ugh.
I'm not blaming anyone but myself... And my mother swears she locked up ALL the coops before she left. So what happened? Where are my birds? Why did my two cats suddenly decide to eat my birds? Can Blue be a factor, even though he was visibly upset and holds these birds like royalty? Guards them with his life? He sleeps on the stoop of the preteen oop at night, and if I miss any on my nightly gatherings of chicks who couldn't make it back in, he herds them to a corner and barks until I come gather them. I'm so MADDDD. Ugh. I don't know how the cats couldve opened that door, unless it was left open. When I alled my mother, furious, she said (and I'm not arguing here) she's not at fault, I shouldve thought about the birds before I went out for the evening. Done it myself.
why did I have to go out with friends the ONE night my cats go rogue? Even if it wasn't them, or Blue, what could it have been? Heres what I found...
Four of the birds were eaten clean in half, leaving only the back half behind. Several of the birds had small bite marks and wings torn off. I found a LOT of feathers, a LOT of wings, but several bodies are null and void. All but one of the chicks (five weeks old) were already stiff. They were spread out in no particular order through out the yard. Two of the birds were where Blue was pacing, and wet like he had mouthed them.)
The preteen coop was WIDE open. One chick was huddled in a corner, four more outside huddled against the house, and two under the coop where I can't get to them. I only found the remaints of 11 chicks, all OVER the yard... Body parts to possibly 6 more. Okay, so there's less than half of my preteens. I'm supposed to have 45 chicks in there... Where ARE they?
I thought it was Blue, and scolded him greatly, only to witness one of my barn cats running off with a half eaten, still warm chick. Culprit found, culprit dead. My other tom cat was lurking close by covered in chick bood, he's now gone, too. I'm so MAD. Most of these birds were sold, to be picked up tomorrow and Saturday. Now I have to call the buyers first thing and let them know... But I'm going to wait til daylight to see if any more chicks show up. Ugh.
I'm not blaming anyone but myself... And my mother swears she locked up ALL the coops before she left. So what happened? Where are my birds? Why did my two cats suddenly decide to eat my birds? Can Blue be a factor, even though he was visibly upset and holds these birds like royalty? Guards them with his life? He sleeps on the stoop of the preteen oop at night, and if I miss any on my nightly gatherings of chicks who couldn't make it back in, he herds them to a corner and barks until I come gather them. I'm so MADDDD. Ugh. I don't know how the cats couldve opened that door, unless it was left open. When I alled my mother, furious, she said (and I'm not arguing here) she's not at fault, I shouldve thought about the birds before I went out for the evening. Done it myself.
Four of the birds were eaten clean in half, leaving only the back half behind. Several of the birds had small bite marks and wings torn off. I found a LOT of feathers, a LOT of wings, but several bodies are null and void. All but one of the chicks (five weeks old) were already stiff. They were spread out in no particular order through out the yard. Two of the birds were where Blue was pacing, and wet like he had mouthed them.)
