R.I.P.

Something ate all of our chickens last night. This has happened to several other friends in the past few weeks... are the gophers just really hungry right now or something?

Last night was their 2nd night outside. The first night I was so concerned about them being cold--even though it was a very warm night. Rich had driven stakes deep into the ground at least every 12 inches all around the coop...we were concerned about larger animals like raccoons trying to get the chickens. By the size of the hole that was dug under the cage, and the tunnel coming up from the ground about a foot away from the coop, it looks like it was a gopher.

I eat meat. I would even raise chickens for meat. The thing that makes me the most sad is that they were surely scared and traumatized when they died... I can't get the image out of my head of the chickens trapped inside their cage, cornered, while something kills them one by one. The only evidence left was scatterings of feathers, a couple of tiny spots of blood, and bulging spots in the chicken wire...the chickens are completely gone.