Saturday was not a very good day. We went from the 'Great Chook Escape' to the 'Great Chook Massacre'. Wolfstanus had gone to feed the chooks and came running back saying 'Mum, mum, the gate is open and the chooks are gone!' We went from disbelief to 'I think we need to search for bodies - there is no way they could have survived'.
I sent the boys to start looking for the missing chooks whilst I got my shoes on. It wasn't long before we found them - they hadn't gotten too far - they were all dead. All that is, except for one hiding under a bush. The boys managed to catch her and we put her back in the pen - she was very shaken but I am happy to report she has bounced back. A little black chook we call 'Lady Luck'. It was sad to lose them all and they will be missed, especially the Silkie Rooster and Hen (Henry and Henrietta).
We were worried about the sole survivor being lonely so we went chook shopping yesterday. We bought some young grey bantam hens (4 in total - Poppet, Sylvanus, Violet and Katherine) and two white Silkie Hens (Elizabeth and Fergie) and two white Silkie roosters (Cap'n Jack and George). We have re-done the gate to the chook pen and now have a gate on the chook house as well so they are completely safe of an evening. Our new chookies are only young so it will be some time before they are laying - but that's okay. We hope to get some older Silkies soon - we have put our order in.
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