Badgers - 20
Foxes - 1
Natural Causes - 2
Peregrine Falcons - 1
Suicides - 3
Aliens - 2

All murdered by Badgers that opened the pop hole door and finished off my flock. Now we know how White Sussex went.

No bloody idea as she is murdered despite being locked up at night. This one is a real mystery because there were feathers inside and outside the house.

How did I know that she was still out, she should have known that the idea is to sleep in the locked and secure henhouse. Oh no! she knew best and now she is a late Black Silks!

Victim of the chop, chop, munch, munch brigade. Good layer (until this year that is) and of a very friendly disposition.

Squatter who only had a brief stay with us before getting the chop, chop, munch, munch treatment.

Why? What Henrietta done to hurt anyone? Try telling that to the chop, chop, munch, munch brigade.

The only Rhodie who kept her looks, that is until 'they' came in the night and re-arranged her appearance.

Silks - February 2005 3yrs 10 months

Victim of the chop, chop, munch, munch brigade. Probably my favourite if you are allowed to have favourites. She always seemed to get by without any problems. Not a bad egg layer either and the eggs, although small, were of a wonderful taste.

Brown Leghorn - August 2004 Age 3 yrs 4 months

Gone but not forgotten as she just would not stop going walkabout. Well this time it was one walk too far as the chop chop munch munch brigade came along one night and that was that.

Silver Sussex - July 2004 Age 14 months

A walkabout too far for dear old blackie. She had taken to going for the odd walk on her own and on this particular occasion decided to bed down in the forest somewhere for the night. Of course along came the chop chop munch munch brigade and that was that. Almost certainly a Badger.

Buff Sussex - July 2004 Age 14 months

Not too sure about this one as I thought I had shut the Chookies in. In the morning they were out with one ex-chicken lying around (well her few remaining feathers were). This must have been a badger as the others were OK and the chicken house was open. Badgers (big fat gits) cannot get in the house where a fox would.

An attack from a Peregrine Falcon. Now that's rare on two counts. 1. There's not too many Peregrine Falcons about and 2. How many chickens get killed by Peregrine Falcons every year?

The worst thing about this attack was that the Peregrine Falcon was injured (obviously by the stout defence that my chookie put up!) and was still in the chicken enclosure. So I had to rescue it from the brave, aggressive, violent - oh sorry I'm talking about my chickens aren't I ................
 

Ugly Mug 1 - January2004 Age 2 yrs 06 months

A very sad story as old timer Rhodie (Ugly Mug1) passed peacefully away in the night. Not exactly sure the reasons why apart from the previous day she became very very lethargic and did not move around.

I don't think she was egg bound as when I examined her I couldn't see any problems and she wasn't unduly hot. Too young for old age so I'll have to keep any eye out for any more problems. Couldn't see any signs of illness on her after she died as she had a healthy coat and looked nice and plump.

Buff Orpington - August 2003 Age 1 yr 10 months

We have thunderstorm - bad!
The chickens take shelter in the house - good!
The chickens start to panic at the thunder - bad!
Buffy sits under the perching bars - bad!
Shuffle, shuffle, panic, panic and down the bar comes courtesy of 4 Rhodies

End result is one flat chicken.

Dark Brahma - July 2003 Age 1 yr 10 months

Good question but munch munch, chop, chop with a nice head left. This time I think it's a fox but the mystery is how the Brahma got out of a locked house. I did not check for sure that she was in on the fateful night so my lesson learnt is ALWAYS do a head count or else the heads may not all be in the place you would expect in the morning!

Dark Brahma and Buff Orpington - April 2003 Age 1 yr 6 months

It was early May and the weather was fine and the chickens happy as sand boys. However this peaceful existence was to be disturbed when I went to let out the chickens in the morning. The chicken house was bolted, the pop hole shut and the nest box down but............... Inside were two dead chickens. How?, When?, What?, Why?, Who?

Investigations revealed one dead Buffy and one dead daft Brahma (both curiously rather flat). No blood, not headless and still full of feathers. What cunning murderer had committed this foul deed? Taking the dead chickens to the butchers it was obvious that the chickens were unmarked but a little 'flat'. The first clue! When I got back I went to sort out the chicken house and noticed the perching bar at the back was down. The second clue! And finally all the chickens were happy and acting normally. The third clue!

It seems that the rear perching bar had come down in the night and squashed the chickens who were sitting on the floor underneath. And they didn't even bother to move, STUPID BLOODY CHICKENS!

England v Turkey.

Yes that's right England v Turkey!!!! The stupid ducks would not go in until it was absolutely dark and when England played Turkey it was not quite dark. The game went on, I became engrossed, the game ended, the dogs next door barked, I went to pick up the pieces. Bloody Badgers again.
 

Golden Silkie - September 2002 Age 1 yr 3 months

Somehow left outside the chicken house. In the middle of the night along came the badgers and chop chop munch munch.

Silkie was sadly missed by her mate, the other Silkie and will be remembered for her nervousness and nice white eggs.