Time to throw my hat into the ring

It seems to be a common topic. One that reoccurs many times over on farm blogs. One we all hate to see pop up in our reader yet a story we can all so easily relate to. I am referring to the the loss of our barnyard companions. More specifically, the loss of our little feathered friends.

Yesterday evening just before dark we noticed three of our four chickens missing from our yard. Each night just before dusk we scoop up our two Doms and two Rhode Island Reds and put them up for the night in an elevated hutch. Often the girls are waiting near the door for us and we just pick them up and put them to bed. But not last night. One was waiting at the door as usual but the other three were no where to be found. We tracked down our other Dom in the thicket just next to the house. But we were still missing both our Road Island Reds.

For about three hours we combed the woods with flashlights looking for the girls but to no avail. Clouds had set in and rain was predicted that night. The only thing we could do was wait until daylight and hope they came home. I was worried (of course) but knew the two had to be together and that made the long hours until day break a little easier.

This morning our smallest Red came sauntering home. She came from the direction of our neighbor's house. Naturally I was jubilated to see her safe and dry and on her way home. However, my heart sank as I saw she was alone. But, I held out hope because if indeed our smallest hen (and lowest in the pecking order) found her way home, surely our lead chicken would as well.

I put the the little Red up and fed the three of them until the rain let up later that morning. Then I turned them out for a little while in the yard while I moved their day pen to a fresh spot. (We keep them in an enlarged dog kennel when we are not home to keep an eye on them.) I guess I was hoping the three hens would beckon our forth missing girl home somehow.

I stepped inside just for a moment to help my two year old with something when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a black dog standing in our yard. The moment I hit the door, our Doms sounded the alarm and I immediately chased the dog away.

I scooped up the Doms and put them back in their hutch. But my little Red was no where to be found. She took off. And is gone again.

How fortunate I was to have her survive a night unprotected only to have her disappear once again. Heartbreaking. Truly Heartbreaking. And frustrating.

I am now convinced this dog may have appeared yesterday and scattered the small flock. The lead chicken (the one who has yet to return home) was a bit of a wander over the summer. I had to continually bring her back from our neighbor's yard and I kept her in her day pen unless I was out to supervise. She is also very broody so there is hope she may have a nest tucked away somewhere and will return home at some point.

We've combed the yard, and the woods, and the neighbor's yard, and the other neighbor's yard, and the trees, and the bushes. There is no sign of struggle. No piles of feathers. It's raining today and there will be heavy storms tonight and tomorrow.

I called our local animal control and reported a leash law violation. I caught him in the yard one evening last week trying to attack my rabbits (also in elevated cages) and chased him away then. He is quiet- doesn't bark. He's young (and sneaky.)

There is a part of me that says there is nothing more we can do. But then there is the other side of me that remembers bringing these girls home as day old chicks and teaching my toddler how to care for them. Sad really. And frustrating.