Lonely Ameraucana looking for friends

I don't know how to say this gently...  my chickens were found dead this afternoon-- 13 of them.  Broken necks.  Long story short, it was deliberate and a report was filed with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.  We have our suspicions and MCSO/Animal Cruelty Team is still investigating, but have little hope the responsible party will be caught.  We are heartbroken!  We loved our goofy girls.

Now I have a dilemma-- I have one lone survivor, an 11-month old Ameraucana in moult.  We raised her from a fluffball and she's very sweet, if a little skittish from being at the bottom of the pecking order.  I know a solitary chicken isn't good, so...  Do I keep her and get a few more adult hens, or give her away and start with a new batch of chicks?  One thing is certain: we're not giving up and refuse to be bullied out of raising perfectly legal chickens!

Does anyone have a few hens that would like to share a 6 ft x 6 ft coop with an attached 250+ square foot run?  Shade, misters, predator proof, with a shiny new lock on the gate.

I'm open to adopting her out, though I'd rather keep her.  If anyone has the perfect home for her, let me know.

If anyone has suggestions for this bizarre situation, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks so much!

~~Laura

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Replies

  • I love it! Now you'll be able to enjoy your new flock, your puppy, and your security. So glad to hear this update!

  • Hi, Everyone!  Laura here with an update on the "chicken massacre" as it's known in the neighborhood.

    We decided to keep our survivor and add a few friends.  We went with laying hens because we were determined to pick up where we left off and not let some whacko set us back months and months.  And we got a beautiful Indian River rooster just to piss off the person we think killed our girls.  (He just stared crowing a couple of days ago, and I get a little thrill every time I hear him!)

    We were just unloading all the new arrivals into the coop with all our friends and neighbors cheering us on, when we got a call from a rescue shelter about a puppy.  We rushed off to see her, leaving all our guests "chicken sitting"!  When we got back, they were all still there and while we were gone, they had formulated and carried out a plan:  Every neighbor is "sponsoring" a chicken to help us cover our costs!  They were all as horrified as we were to have something like this happen in the area, and this is their way to help.  For the donation price of a chicken, they get to pick out the hen they want, name it, and "own" it, and receive some free eggs.  The first one to be "adopted" was our lone survivor, and she was named Hope.  The rooster was next, and his name is Mr. V. (for "Victory!").  I love my neighbors!

    And yes, we came home with the puppy!  She's a German Shepherd mix about 11 or 12 weeks old.  She is adjusting beautifully, and we can tell she's going to be a great guard dog.  I had a German Shepherd growing up, so I'm just tickled!

    There is a hefty new lock on the gate and we're not saying too much, but work is underway on an impressive surveillance system, courtesy of an outraged neighbor with A/V connections.  So exciting!  Nothing came of the Sheriff's investigation, but if anyone tries again, we'll be ready.

    Thank you to all of you who have expressed concern or offered suggestions.  I'm always amazed at the caring and knowledgeable people with VPA and love our online community.  Thank you so much!

    ~~ Laura & Peeps

    • Wonderful news.  Enjoy.

    • Laura thank you soooo much for the up date and GREAT news :) Congratulations on the new puppy, and sooooo happy that you were able to add new friends for Hope!!!! Sounds like you have the very best caring neighbors (well minus the one WACO) and friends supporting you, and yee-haw for the new surveillance system. He better not ever try to step foot onto your property again. Seems to me there is an army waiting for him if he does ;) This is a very happy end to a super super sad beginning! Again thank you for keeping us up to date and for sharing this wonderful story.  Blessings to you :)

    • What wonderful news, Laura.  I'm so happy for your and your new friends (furry and feathered)!

  • I've got two hens that would take the chance.  Ha!  Private message me if you would like some friends for your chicken.  One is a black, I Don't Know Chicken, about 2 years old and the other is a Naked Neck also the same age.  They can be noisy fighters which might be what ya need. 

    Or if you have changed your mind and would like us to adopt your chicken, let me know.

     

  • Hi Laura,

    So sorry to hear of your losses.  Several people had mentioned security cameras.  Let me take that thought one step further and recommend a deer camera.  They are about 5" x 7" in size, run on batteries and are used by hunters scouting game locations.  Most have flash so they can take photos at night or under low light conditions.  You can find them for about $100 at sporting goods stores and I have even seen them at Wal-Mart in the fall.  The photos are amazing and would certainly be adequate for bringing the perpetrator to justice.  Since the cameras are relatively small, they are fairly easy to conceal. 

    Hope this helps,

    HL

  • I am so sorry for your loss, it is shocking that you experienced such trauma at the hand of a fellow human being!  I agree with the dog comments, my girls are well protected by my boys - each of which are around 70 lbs of love and deterrent wrapped together.  http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/photo/200902-chicken-defenders?c...  Nobody with ill intentions - who also valued their life - would jump the fence into this yard... I love my mutts and agree that rescue dogs are the way to go!  (Although a security camera would be nice to help bring the perps to justice or at least expose the ugly truth to all the neighbors.)  The right dog with chicken friendly tendencies can belong to just about any breed, but each dog needs solid training to know their boundaries with small pets.  It is an investment in time and effort to properly train a dog, but one that pays huge dividends long into the future!

  • Why are people so mean!? I would suggest a Welsh Corgi. While my daughter was away I doggie-sat. Faye was so good with the chickens. The girls were allowed to run loose in my yard in the afternoon and this little dog would herd them around my house and back to their pen. She never tried to nip at them and they seemed to enjoy her company. Corgies are small but sound like a large dog when they bark.

     

  • I can't believe the stupidity of some people.  I am soo sorry to hear about your chickens.  I also, hope they catch the person and that they are hung up to dry. 

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