"NOOOOO!"

So we went to put the chickens away the other day and couldn't find them. What we did find, though, was a big pile of feathers on the side of the house. I investigated further, and luckily, they didn't belong to any of our girls. Sadly, they did belong to someone. And that someone probably didn't make it out alive. We did finally find our chickens and got them safely put away for the night. Ironically, the next day, the neighbor, Barry, came over to tell us about the wolf. The same day we found the feathers, about 4:00 pm, a wolf came into their yard and nabbed one of their chickens - while they watched. OK, time to keep better tabs on the girls.  Barry also informed us that they'd seen the wolf on the road near our house in addition to a coyote making the rounds. Yep, we're gonna be on alert. Not only for the chickens, but the dog and those kids of ours!

Over the weekend, the prowling wildlife was definitely on our minds. Our chickens don't usually venture too far from home (which is good!) so we haven't feared the wildlife too awfully much. And for the most part, we always outside with them. Sunday afternoon, we sat down for a late lunch at about 1:30 out on the patio. Travis and I were at the table and the boys sitting on the sidewalk. Mmmm, grilled cheese.

Out of the blew, we heard an awful squawk from out in the woods. Immediately, I thought the girls were fighting and didn't think much of it. Until I spotted the brown thing lunging in the trees. It was the color of a deer and took a few seconds of processing before I lurched out of my chair screaming, "Noooooo!" I ran faster than I have since high school track out into the woods. I realized that Travis, too, took off running for the woods. According to Colin, later, I apparently screamed, "No" around seven times. I guess it was pure instinct and adrenaline, but I was bound and determined to save that chicken. I was so upset when we couldn't find that chicken or any of our chickens. We searched the woods, the yard, the road, the neighbor's yard and everywhere we could think of! The only birds we found were one lone white chicken (not ours) and one angry guinea hen. There was also no coyote in sight.

That coyote nabbed that poor chicken so fast it was almost surreal. And as fast as it came in, it was gone. And probably full. Now the reality of a wild animal grabbing one of our girls was more and more real - especially since we couldn't find a single chicken.

We probably searched between a half hour to forty-five minutes. The little boys were starting to get really sad. I wasn't letting myself get sad. I was still convinced that it couldn't have been one of our girls since they were all missing. I was hoping they were safely hiding somewhere. But deep down, I knew it was possible that we may have just witnessed one of our feathery pets get murdered.  It sure sounded like Magda's cry. Travis thought it looked like Buttercup. But if it was either of them, where were the rest of them?

Travis ventured back out into the woods again and there was no sign of them, the coyote, or the murdered chicken.  We reconvened at the edge of the yard, about ready to give up hope. We listened to the guinea continue to yell at anything and everything from its perch out where the incident occurred, and I glanced over at some movement in the flowers. Yes! There they were! Every single one of our babies, safe and sound, hiding in the Bee Balm! I have never been more excited to see a chicken...or four.  We quickly scooted them to the safety of their coop.

So now what? Obviously, these canine predators will be back. They've gotten a meal or two from our house (and the neighbor's) and they will, indeed, be back.

Today, the girls were allowed out twice. Each time, I barely left their sides. They aren't too awfully happy to be cooped up all day, to say the least. But we aren't willing to sacrifice them to a hungry, selfish coyote or wolf.

We're debating moving the coop to a different part of the yard in order to fence it in. Another option, Travis will enlarge the run area. Either way, our free-range birds are going be very claustrophobic for a bit.

We alerted the neighbors to their loss - and Harriet told us that she's lost 18 chickens! Holy cats. That's way too many meals for those damn wild dogs!  I have a feeling someone in the neighborhood will be utilizing their hunting skills...soon.