As I read tears came to my eyes
to care for other living things is part of being human.
Animals enrich our lives in so many ways and when they are gone it leaves a hole we fill with sadness.
I wish I could say as I have aged and experienced many losses that it has become easier , It has not .
Empathy and compassion are virtues but they sometimes cause us pain.
Thank you for sharing the lives of your chickens . I have enjoyed reading of their/your journey.

Cinda

I am so sorry

Thank you both! I think what bothers me the most is the tragic way they went and that I was somewhat responsible. Now I am in a panic feeling to race home from work to lock them in, it gets dark so much earlier now and hubby is out of town. I know whatever came in to attack will be back, they got in once and will try for a meal again. It's that dread now that's driving me nuts until we can get that wire top over the run.

Always sad to lose critters. You may want to invest in one of the many solar powered chicken doors on the market. I have been quite pleased with mine, it works great, operates on a large 6V lantern battery (one of those big square ones), and goes up and down like a champ. It was about $200 but well worth the peace of mind for me. We are able to leave on short trips with no particular need for chicken-care other than to ask the neighbors to come pick up eggs every 2-3 days so they don't pile up. I've also seen some DIY plans online, but we took the easy route.

http://adorstore.com/

Thanks Deb, @Bonehead, hubby has had that checked out since he first built the coop but has in mind to build one himself. Right now, he plans to put wire roof over the larger run because in this case, the predator came in when in was already light out.

Wiring in is a good option as well. My chicken yard is too large for that to be practical (plus it contains two trees). If you do end up with some sort of automatic door, I'd check on the timing for opening and shutting. I find that mine opens a bit later than I would like (the hens get pretty restless) and also closes well after twilight. It hasn't been a problem for me as the hens are all in the coop before the door shuts, and I also have a large dog who adds a second layer of security against predators. I think mine is governed by available light and the door faces north, others I've seen (or DIY plans) can be set to an actual timer. In any case, best of luck, it's always hard to find a pile of feathers instead of your goofy friend...

I'm slowly getting caught up on things, and was sad to read this entry.

I'm sorry for your loss, Sue. I never had chickens (and most likely never will), but I know the pain that comes with losing a beloved pet.

I hope that you have your coop covered by now, both for your hens' sake, but also so that you will have less stress/fear over your remaining feathered friends.

Thanks Marilyn, haven't covered the full run yet, it's a huge job but I am less stressed now that hubby is home from visiting his folks and is letting them out later in the morning. We let the out more often lately into the yard too.