1 brown

Swam usual.

I was up in the chicken yard during the period I got the call Friday morning (3:30 AM until 4:30 AM). No sign of marauder.

Did a count of my flock this morning:
2 juvenile RI Red
3 Juvenile BR
1 old BR
2 old Wyandotte lace wing
2 americauna
1 golden sexlink
1 old RI Red

12 hens. 1 duck.

This puts next year's chick order at:
3 RI Red
2 silver laced wyandottes
3 americuana
2 gold laced wyandotte
2 buttercups

adding 13 hens, retiring 7. flock would have 18 birds if no losses.
Unless I share chicks at feed store this is a single order, 13 laying chicks, 12 meat birds.

Just over a week ago I had it as:
2 americauna
2? barred rock juveniles
1 old barred rock
5 Rhode Island Red juveniles
2 old RI Red
2 lace wing wyandotte
1 golden sexlink

I must have double counted a RI Red (Minnesota election anyone ?) and not counted a juvenile BR. since then the RI reds have had 2 lost... and 1 old RI Red.

I secured the chicken coop in the evening. 2 hens were out in the yard in the morning anyway. I'm not going to fool myself that closing up the coop is going to end predation, but it will give a bit more time to catch the culprit.

Was kind of cool sitting and listening to the highway 100 yards away, watching a pair of mule deer run up the road at 4:00 AM. Chilly out.