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One of my kids failed to put the brick up against the left-side of the door of the chicken house yesterday evening -- I saw the results of that mistake today.

A total loss. All 9 hens were slaughtered by some stray dog or wild animal.

I had bought 9 chicks (pullets) about 2 1/2 months ago, on St. Patrick's Day. All of them were healthy and not a single one died...until today.

We could only find 3...maybe 3 1/2 carcasses total, all inside the structure. The other 5 1/2 chickens? Gone without a trace.

We don't have a lot of wildlife here, so I'm thinking a stray (or neighbor's) dog did it.

I'm still days (or weeks) from finishing a more deluxe home for my...er...chickens (though I no longer have any). It would be done by now if we hadn't received so much rain during April and May. We're in "monsoon season" here. Rain every day, or every other day. The 3 month drought (which we get almost every year) can't come fast enough for me!

I burned the bodies until my kindling supply gave out (which charred them pretty well -- they smell like a barbecue!) and placed them inside a different "chicken coop" (enclosed structure) and secured the door. I don't want some idiot stray dog nourishing himself on these bodies.

The only thing worse than losing all your chickens, is losing your chickens and feeding stray (or loose neighborhood dogs that might as well be stray) dogs!

I'd rather they liquefy and fertilize the ground.

I was going to bury them, but that would be more work. I have enough work to do, which I am quite behind on.

Unfortunately I had to *buy* the original chicks for $3 each (I paid $1 extra to get all hens), plus whatever food they ate is a loss. I don't know if you can even get chicks during the summer -- certainly not at the Tractor Supply store. All the local, private farms around here want a lot more per chick for some reason. Maybe I'll place an ad on Craigslist or something.

My kids were getting pretty good at taking care of them too. That's why I got them, of course: for the rural livestock learning experience. My oldest 2 girls were the best at handling them. They liked to go in the cage and play with them.

But first I have to get that fenced-in chicken run built, in between thunderstorms!

Today was not a good day for me.

I feel bad for you, but your little children are no doubt crying about their chicks.  It is so sad to see the children cry when there is not much one can do about it.  

This has happened to me twice.  Pisses me off every time it occurs.  I even lost a rabbit because of this.  I've since taken measures against this sort of thing.