Well so much for free ranging!!!!!

[Duppydo]

Sorry for your loss, she's was a beauty...Most of my girls are unnamed (30), my favorite is Molly a NHRed, she loves to garden with me, mostly weeding, which is a feast for her,she doesn't miss many bugs that i can see...! I let my chickens roam in a rather large area enlosed with deer fencing, no overhead protection.There free from dawn to dusk,with lots of evergreen trees as cover to hide..I have ten nhreds and twenty white leghorns...
I know sooner or later i'm going to lose some, but i'd rather let them roam and be happy and healthier scratching about,then keep the locked up all the time...If i take a heavy hit, then i would lock them up until i can get the predator, if i can...I do expect a loss here and there, but have been lucky so far....Kevin

 

[tamlynn]

So sorry! I'm new here. We lost a chicken this week too. One of my OE bantys was snagged by a hawk. Just got the head. My husband and kids saw it.

They had been free range in the backyard. I tried keeping the other two locked up since then but they hated it! Just paced the coop all day and were really loud.

 

[Shared Acres]

Sorry to hear that!

 

[MagsC]

 

[crtrlovr]

sounds like you were snagged by a raccoon. they are adorably cute, but tenacious predators. (They are a LOT less cute to me since I've lost a few chickens, 4 guineas, and 4 quail -- the quail were in a wired enclosure and the raccoon was able to squeeze through and get to the kennel I had them in and reach through the bars to rip their heads off. I had it completely covered on 3 sides but forgot [

] to go back out and cover the 4th side after the sun went down). I'm placing an order for electronet from Premier tomorrow. The lone remaining quail is in the house right now sharing space in my bird room with my cockatiels, finches, diamond doves, conure, and AGray.

eta -- I didn't mean to run on about my own issues, I meant to say I have an idea how you feel, and I'm VERY sorry for your loss and your broken heart. I hope in time as the pain starts to heal you can enjoy the memories of your sweet Lily.

 

[BFeathered]

So sorry for your loss!

I've been there, and am still in mourning. We buried our babies near their favorite "hanging" spot. Your Lily was loved, that's the important thing. Hang in there.

 

[baldie]

I am so sorry for your loss, its hard to lose anyone you love!!! I hope you feel better, and at least she wasn't cooped up all the time, I am sure she had a wonderful life. But it still stinks, take care!!

 

[Chickenaddict]

Thank you everyone for your kind words, advice and much needed hugs. She will be greatly missed. She was the only chicken i had who wasn't afraid of ANY animal. If someones cat or dog came into the yard she would run up to greet them which wasn't such a good thing. Is it normal for the other chickens to mourn, my whole flock cried and cried last night. Thank you again, if it wasn't for byc i think i'd still be beating myself up pretty bad about the whole thing.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I bet it was a hawk or an owl. I had lost a mallard drake to an owl after the fair. He won champ to. I went out and found feathers spread across an area and then later found his body. He was the sweet duck I'd ever had. Still to today I miss him, but it's the chance we take leaving our birds uncaged. At least they lived a happy life. So sorry for your loss. I know how you feel.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

This could have been a hawk. I lost two leghorns and a nice wild game bird to a few of them. Some of these hawks are fearless. I am sorry for your loss. I just hate it when a chicken falls prey to something. This is why i now have 12 guinea fowl in with the chickens. I have not had a hawk problem since they have gotten big enough to find their voices. They are loud and alert to hawks. They fly and in a 12 bird herd this is intimitating.