chicken thieves

Posted by on October 4, 2009 in farm | 19 comments

Hey, hi! Remember me? I know, I know, it's been awhile. So. I mentioned this in passing on twitter, but in case you missed it, someone climbed over our fence last weekend and stole eleven of my chickens. Why would someone do something so terrible? I've been completely heartbroken over the whole thing, and not sleeping too much, worried that they'll be back for the remaining six. Those six, by the way, seem pretty traumatized by the whole thing themselves. They stopped laying completely for a few days. In fact I've only found four eggs the last couple days. Of my six newer chicks, they took four. One of the two has lost all her friends and wanders around the yard alone most of the time. I hope the thieves just fell on hard times and really wanted some laying hens so they could have eggs to eat, but I know the chances are slim that any of them are still alive. I feel sick just typing that. In the meantime, I've put a padlock on the chicken coop, and they get locked up tight every night now. The dogs were unusually agitated for several nights in a row, and I think the robbers may have come one night to case the joint, and then dogs may have chased them away before they could get all the chickens. We reported it to the sheriff, but I don't expect much will come from that.

Anyway, I haven't felt too creative lately, as you might imagine. I did have to make a couple quilt blocks for a co-worker who is having a baby. Several other co-workers organized a friendship quilt-a-long, which is so great! I got a square of blue gingham, which I cut up to piece together this little house block.

 House 

It's not too exciting, but cute enough I think.

I've also been writing app reviews for an iPhone blog called Appmodo. So far, mostly just games, but I hope to get to try out all sorts of different apps eventually. I want to work on building a portfolio of my writing, so this will be a good addition. Plus, free apps for me! Of course, I've been using all my writing mojo up, and haven't had any leftover for my own little blog. I'm starting to get more into the swing of it, though, so I should be back here regularly now.

19 Comments

  1. For some reason, when you tweeted about chicken thieves, I thought you meant like a coyote or something…not actual persons taking your chickens! Somehow that’s worse to me!! I’m so sorry!!

  2. Oh my goodness! That is really rotten!! : (

  3. Things like that make you feel pretty sick at heart don’t they, on so many levels. I hate the thought of people prowling around my house contemplating nicking my stuff too, we’ve had one of our cars stolen or broken into three times and it’s hard to explain that to my four year old, can’t imagine trying to explain missing chickens! There are some things you shouldn’t have to explain, or I wish we didn’t. My brother-in-law has a big high-country station and they have terrible problems with stock being rustled, his stories were appalling. It’s an amusing term for a really nasty thing.

  4. It’s so strange…I hope your others are safe now.
    Cute block! Very cute.

  5. I’m so sorry for the loss of your chickens. I hope whoever took them is being tormented by guilt and regret……(I still love the stripey legs on your nutcracker doll and feel the urge to make another so I can have a stripey legged doll, too.)

  6. That is so horrible!! So sorry about the poor chickens. I can’t believe someone would do that!
    The quilt block is super cute. 🙂

  7. I know you treat your chickens like pets and would never eat them. And I remember all the darling photos of your chickens’ butts (they were so cute!), so when I heard about the thieves I first thought coyotes or a pack of dogs because I’ve seen it before, but the idea that a person or persons did this makes me scared for you. Please take care.

  8. I’m so sorry about the chickens. Some people are just dispicable. xo, suzy

  9. I am so sorry someone stole your chickens. This time of year I worry about someone taking my turkeys. I raised them from babies and hatched half the flock myself from eggs from my older hens. I hope if someone comes after them a 60lb tom will flog them relentlessly.

  10. I am so sorry someone stole your chickens. This time of year I worry about someone taking my turkeys. I raised them from babies and hatched half the flock myself from eggs from my older hens. I hope if someone comes after them a 60lb tom will flog them relentlessly.

  11. I’m sorry to read this. How terrible.

  12. Oh, how sad! I am sorry for your chicken loss. I always enjoy your posts about them.

  13. That is so sad, that people stole the chickens. What audacity to enter a private property and then steal eleven chicken. Eleven! Why not two? It’s a crazy world out there. I am so sorry.
    S

  14. Oh man…I saw that tweet also and thought the same thing as Odd Dotty. I didn’t realize it was actually people. That’s unconscionable. Hang in there.

  15. That is so heartbreaking!

  16. This is terrible! I wonder about the logistics. Carrying chickens, putting them in crate. One stolen chicken is a teenage prank. A flock? That’s premeditated. Have you checked Craig’s List for chickens for sale? THey just might be there. I can’t imagine the thief is going to keep them. I’d think it’d be hard to live happily with stolen backyard chickens… but then I have friends who had a pine tree chopped down x-mas eve. Imagine being the sort to want to decorate a stolen tree. Anyway, I’m so, so sorry to hear about this.

  17. That is absolutely horrible! I’ve heard of foxes and coons ‘stealing’ chickens but not people! The nerve…so sorry!!

  18. I am so sorry to hear your chickens were taken! At least they didn’t get all of them! I wonder if it’s someone who lives nearby or if it was someone who did a job for someone and saw/heard them. Any neighbors that had repair men in the last couple weeks? That is just pretty low. Can you tell how they got in- I mean, where they came over- is there an area that is near trees and out of sight? I would at least put up some sort of official looking notice in that area. Like, hmm, maybe a security system sign? It might work to keep them from returning again. Also, if it’s possible, you could put up one of those motion sensitive lights in back- they are really helpful, we had them on the back of our house when we lived in the boonies of VA. My husband works in the security industry and thats what he suggested- it’s cheap and it will scare the crap out of them if they come back!

  19. That’s horrible… I saw your tweet but wasn’t sure what you were talking about. {{{HUGS}}}

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