Distressed and Tearful.

[bluemoon]

We went to out lottie as normal at first light this morning, having left at dusk yesterday, to find that someone had smashed their way into the chicken houses overnight, then put Coco and Elvis in a run together and left the hens to either roam or be taken by a fox. Fortunately the hens were still in bed when we arrived and Coco and Elvis were wandering around looking more stunned than anything, no fighting yet, thank goodness.
They'd also stolen our tap key (the only way to access water on our site) and then emptied the drinkers.
WHY?????? Nothing of value was taken. I think they were of the impression that by the time we arrived Coco and Elvis would have hurt each other and the hens would be either lost or suffering from dehydration. Obviously they were unaware that we are there at dawn each day. What's worse is that we suspect someone from the site as the tap keys are nondescript looking things, you'd have to have seen and used one before to know what one was for and it would be useless to anyone else.
OH has had to take the afternoon off work to go and fix the houses, but in addition to a lock and jamb on the rear access doors, they've also broken the locks on the pop-hole and the nest-boxes, these were only small locks as they were to deter foxes (after Mo's experience) and not intended to keep out vermin of the 2 legged kind, and breaking them was completely unnecessary and pointless as they couldn't have accessed the hens through them.
I just feel so disheartened, this is the second similar attack on us (and only us) and on a large site where just about everyone keeps poultry, so it seems as if someone is holding a grudge. I don't know why, we are pleasant to everyone and always say hello, but because we work we are not often there during the day and don't often see many people.
I just feel like giving up, our chickens are so tame and trusting they'd allow anyone to pick them up and now I'm wondering if by keeping them I'm leaving them open to something awful happening to them.
These people did not break our gate in order to gain access, we don't know how they managed to find their way on, but we can't increase security as they are obviously climbing existing fences or something.

[winstonwobble]

So Sorry to read your post hope you can get everything mended for tonight i dont know what these people (if you can call them that) get out of doing such things keep your chin up and dont let the Bugg*%" win i hope your girls and boys are O.K thinking of you

[Dottie]

Really sorry to hear your tale of woe, disheartening just reading it.

Sounds like it might be worth you seeing if you can get a few of the plot holders together, so that they can keep an eye out for you. I'd also report it to the Police and let it be known that the Police are involved.

It is shocking and worrying for you, but don't let whoever it is win by giving up.

Best of luck.

Dottie

[Two_Sheds]

It sounds like an inside job (there are some weird people around).
I would type up what you told us, and print off a copy for each & every plot holder, so everyone understands the distress that has been caused.

---------------

A few years ago Nice Karen had her chickens let out (fox got some of them). It turned out to be schoolgirls, who thought they were "setting them free from their cruel cages"

[Pumpkin Becki]

Thank goodness you get there so early in the morning bluemoon. Why would someone want to do something like that? Are you sure no one else on the site has suffered an attack too? I really feel for you (((((((((((((((big hug))))))))))))))).

[HeyWayne]

Shocking - some people are real numpties.

A flourescent paint loaded booby trap might sort out who it is.

Hope something gets sorted out soon and those responsible are puniched accordingly and appropriately.

[Bramble-Poultry]

i woke up this morning to find that the door to my laying hen run was open - normally locked. cant think why it was open as we had collected eggs earlier in the day. I have a feeling it was either a very strong wind that opened the hasp and staple, some forgetful old sod (me) or it was helped in some way?

It was only the layers and "goliath" the cockerel. he kept calling to get the ladies back and we have recovered all but one white star hen. Sue knows the ones, we bought them at the sale near Oswestry when we met her. Annoying as those hens cost £8 each and the only hens in that run we have bought for some time!

Being so new they are tamed down yet, so i do hope she turns up!

[Polly Fouracre]

She will probably turn up around roosting time. Hope she does anyway.

[bluemoon]

Thank you everyone. I feel a little better just for your kind words, and knowing that by now OH will be there making everything safe again. This morning we made everything as secure as possible using bricks, bits of twine and even a spade wedged in the classic chair-under-the-door-handle position. With luck the chickens should have been kept in their runs whilst still having access to their houses and nest boxes and I doubt that anyone would try anything during daylight, one of the advantages to having a large site is that there's usually someone around. These attacks though are happening at night, we are always one of the last to leave when it is growing dark and the first to arrive when it is getting light again, even in summer when that means less than 5 hours. We try and spend at least 2 hours with the chickens in the evening, often much longer, and an hour or so in the morning when we feed and water them as well as letting them out of their runs for a quick forage. We're up there as much as possible at weekends and if OH has a day off mid-week, he spends it on the lottie, weather permitting. We're new to chicken keeping, but have become completely besotted with them, we try to do the best we possibly can for them, which is why it took us almost 18 months from deciding to keep them to actually getting the first ones, as we wanted to do everything absolutely properly and it's very upsetting when that simply isn't good enough. I imagine that by this evening I'll be angry, but at the moment I just feel like crying.
As for weird people, TwoSheds, if our suspicions about those responsible are correct then you don't know how true that is.
Bramble, I hope you get your hen back.
Dottie, thank you, I did inform the police immediately as last time it happened the allotment secretary asked me to, even for minor things as that way we get a crime number and are therefore included in the statistics, the theory is that when they have a number of 'unsolveds' from the site they might stir things up a bit, just to keep their figures looking good, though I accept they've more important things to investigate than a couple of malicious attacks on chickens.

[MaureenHall]

Oh dear Bluemoon, I really feel for you, honestly. I'd definitely do as Two Sheds suggests and let everyone else know how distressed you have been made to feel about this incident, and I'd also get the police involved too. Just the threat of police action might put the perpetrators off doing further damage. It's really sick the things that some people get up to "just for fun" or for whatever other reason. Please don't give up on your chooks, they need you just as much as you need them xxxxx

[Seahorse]

I'm really sorry to hear this bluemoon. I really don't know whats the matter with some people I hope you're feeling a bit happier soon.

[Dottie]

Just a thought, but maybe the RSPC might be interested to have a nose around and have a chat to those who you suspect?

[zazen999]

I really don't know what to say BM. So terribly upsetting

[HayleyB]

Ditto above - how awful

[Noodles]

I'm horrified. It's horrible enough when you hear about people's crops being vandalised but your chickens put in danger? That's just disgusting. Thank goodness they were all ok and fingers crossed talk of the police will be enough to put them off doing it again.