It only takes one night out of 500 nights for something to happen when you are a chicken owner. Of all the worry, and thought, and constant nagging I have had for the chickens to be locked safely in each evening....last night I blew it.
Ellery and I were both exhausted, and even in the final moments before sleep, I didn't even have my final are the chickens okay worry. So when Ellery went out at 9:30pm before bed with the Dog and heard a noise coming from the Coop...he knew it was no good.
He made it over there just to see something dragging one of our chickens into the woods. The chicken escaped---but was tragically injured. Ellery watched it die right in front of him.
2 other chickens were missing. Of course my favorite chickens: Benedict, and Little Red.
Benedict has been my favorite from the beginning, very independent and a beautiful Araucana that lays blue eggs. She would always do her own thing---and she had a taste for leftover pie dough. She was my smartest chicken (or so I thought), so I never thought she would be the first to go.
Little Red is the sweetest chicken I have ever known, and I didn't know chickens could be sweet. She often wants to be patted or even held. And she has this weird squat thing she does when she comes over to you......
Well after hysterically crying when Ellery told me about the chickens, sure enough it was those two that were taken, plus the black one he saw die. I was/still am so upset. I walked around the whole yard at 5am yelling for them. When I had given up hope and was inside---Ellery yelled for me to look across the road (a very busy road). There was Little Red---drenched and scared. I ran over in my pajamas and managed to coax her after while with some Ricotta Cheese. The fact that she escaped from the predator, and then managed to run across the road and survive all night is amazing! She is such a brave chicken, and I am so so so grateful that she made it home alive!
Sad news for Benedict though. I thought for sure he would come home---but today with the help of my carpenters dog I found him and his feathers in the woods. I mourn the loss of this bird. And will sorely miss seeing him out in the yard and munching on pie dough.
I know that people think its silly to be attached to chickens, but some chickens just have such unique and awesome personalities....Not to mention I have raised these chickens since they were three days old and love them like pets. I know I shouldn't get so attached because they are essentially livestock. But they provide such a great happiness to see them out in the fields eating grass or digging up worms.
So RIP Benedict, and Meringue the Chicken. Thanks for all the beautiful eggs, and thanks for providing me with happiness by just being a creature of God.
We hope to catch the creature that did this, although its really not their fault that we were careless and forgot to lock the hens up on time. Still it would make me feel better if it was caught.
