Thursday
Linda
It was already dark last night when Sonny went out to close up the chicken coop. After about ten minutes he came back into the house and informed me that we only had eighteen chickens sitting up on the roosts. One was missing. The three guineas were back under the eves of the pole barn.
“I counted heads more than once and still only came up with eighteen,” he said.
We always make sure our chickens are accounted for every night. Once in a while we will get one that decides its better to stay out all night, and in the morning we find her waltzing around the yard.
We searched all the usual places they like to hide, and checked to make sure she didn’t get locked in the garage (thats happened before). All we could do was hope that she would turn up in the morning. Unfortunately that was not the case.
There was no sign of her. Not even a feather. The odd thing about it all is that this afternoon when we came back from town we went to the pole barn to check things out. There laying on the dirt floor was a chicken skeleton. It had been picked clean and only two tuffs of feathers were laying beside her. I’m not entirely sure but I don’t think her cannibal sisters would eat the feathers too.
That hen was not in the pole barn this morning. So where did she come from? There weren’t enough feathers for it too have been the murder site. Her head and feet were still attached, but she was missing everything else.
I guess the cats could have dragged the body into the barn, but that is unlikely. They don’t really spend anytime down there. They would have just carried it further out into the field. The dog has been in the house all day. I guess its possible she was killed close to the barn and the chickens had a game of chase with the carcass, but that still does not explain the absence of feathers.
Any ideas? Maybe Miss Scarlet killed her in the library, plucked her and then was interrupted before she could put her in the roasting pan. Or maybe it was Mrs. White who clubbed her over the head with a lead pipe. Or Professor Plum. He always has been a bit shifty. Any clues to what might have happened to our dear Henny Penny?
The catch cage was empty this morning and the marshmallows were still in place. I guess that could rule out Mr. Raccoon….or maybe he was too full from a chicken dinner.
Off-Grid in West Virginia 
attack of zombie chickens
still wondering about lack of feathers
was there bbq sauce on the scene?
No BBQ sauce. Not even a hint of lemon pepper or rosemary. Poor little chicken.
I vote for Miss Scarlet in the Ballroom with the wrench. Actually, Lynn says most likely an owl by night or a hawk by day. A raccoon could have finished off the meat in your absence. And feathers fly on windy days.
Makes sense. It’s just odd we found her inside of the pole barn. You just never know what goes on around the farm when your not home or sleeping at night. Lots of predators you may never see.
don’t really like the use of poison, but you might have to go that route.
I don’t either and it’s not something we would do. Besides one of our own animals could end up getting into it. We live out in the big bad woods where predators roam, and although I don’t like it, it is inevitable that we will lose a chicken or two. I just don’t want to lose a whole flock.
i agree that posion bait pacs you can by at homedepot and put the animals up for a few days. and see what pops from that…
I’m with Linda on this. Innocent animals (pets or no) are always the ones to end up poisoned – it’s Murphy’s Law.
Maybe a wag, but, got any bob cat around? I would think so. They may induldge in the best leaving the carcass, then, another smaller animal living in and around the pole barn may have dragged it in to finish off. Also, a couple of game camera’s may eventually reveal the culprit(s). After that… time for traps!
I hate killing an animal with poison, just because it is the cruelest way to kill something, but am also a realist. But poison would certainly be my very last option.
any more carnage?
So far we have stopped 5 raccoons from killing our birds. None last night but we will continue to set the cage each night.
good idea
i have had no carnage yet,but the dogs have been letting me know there is some sort of furry intruder they not like every nite
so i have set 1 trap, and will most likely have at least 1 trap set rest of summer,as it is time fot mamas to teach youngins how to hunt