Hubby had an early morning (read as all day) heart cath (routine checkup, he is a 2x heart transplant recipient and one kidney and is in chronic rejection of his heart). Before we left, we opened the coops so that the chickens could free range as usual. All went exceedingly well, we came home and I saw all of my chickens and ducks and one caged but very happy rabbit were playing in the yard, drinking from the duck pool (as usual, walking straight past the nice fresh clean water to drink from duck poo pond). Anyway, as it was getting dark, I went out to close up the coops and do my usual head count when I discovered my super sweet and precious buff orpington, Buttercup was dead and mangled on the ground in the coop and one of my almost 8 week old Ameracaunas, Taffy, is completely missing and the only signs of her are the enormous amount of feathers on the ground in the coop. That tells me that whatever got them, cornered them in the coop or caught them as they were putting themselves to bed. This also tells me that this all happened as I sat in my living room and didn't hear a thing. Our cats also appear to be spooked so I am not sure what got them. I know in the past that the cats have fought tooth and nail to protect mama's feather babies, even coming home wearing the badge of skunk scent from time to time. They are not afraid to take on other cats, opossum, or skunks - we know from experience. A neighbor area dog came around recently(we live in the country, while we don't have a great deal of land - 1 acre, we don't live close at all to any dog owners), but the dog was super friendly and didn't bother the animals for the several days he kept popping up. There are fox, bobcats and bear in the area, but we have never had anything more than dear, opossum, skunks and some gophers to deal with on our property. We have a very solid varmint protection system for while they are cooped up, but they free range during the day and have trees, bushes, and a deck (just to name a few) they can dart under for protection.

Now I get to my question, what to do with my dead chicken's carcass. With my husband having just had a heart cath and me unable to do just about anything physical, we cannot dig a grave deep enough to prevent critters from digging it up. Our teenage son is away at youth camp this week, as is my dad (the other physical labor alternative in times of a pinch). I was thinking we need to burn it, but being it's after 10pm here, we cannot burn it now. The hens and ducks had been sitting staring at the body on the floor and cried and whimpered with me.

We had a rooster up until recently, but he was so mean we were being torn up and were at great risk of being knocked down by him so he could have inflicted much more serious injury. We found him a nice home in the mountains where a family needed a mean rooster to protect their hens from area dogs.

We have 5 week old barnyard mix hatchlings in our small coop and know we have at least four cockerels in the mix that we will keep until we can decide which one or two are the best at their jobs without hurting us.

I know I am rambling, please forgive me. I am just really taking it hard. Normally, I would have taken my silkies outside upon returning home but didn't feel right about taking them out today. I am so glad I didn't. They are my sweet puffballs and that would have hurt even more.

I am so sorry for your loss.
If there is no other choice I would recommend just wrapping the dead chickens in a garbage bag and tossing it in the trash.
I know that may not be very respectful to your loved animal but it sounds like you or your husband is not capable of digging a big enough grave for the chickens.
Again I am so sorry and I hope those pesky chicken killers do not return.

Thank you, so much. I cringe to say what he did with the poor baby while awaiting an answer. Let's just say that I presently don't visit our outside freezer. I have cried about this so much, it almost seems silly. But, I didn't get into raising chickens for meat, or even eggs for that matter (can't even smell one cooking without getting sick and they used to be my very favorite food). We needed help with pest control since we cannot use chemicals on anything I touch or go near, and I really always wanted to have some chickens and ducks ever since I was a little girl. I stayed with my grandparents on my mother's side a lot until we started moving all over the world with the military and she had a Hen that was rescued named Clara Bell and a fighting rooster that was rescued named Clarence. I think the term I heard was they both "fell off a truck." She also had Mr. and Mrs. Quack while my aunt had Billy Goats named Billy and Bobby and ducks named James and Pauline (my grandparents names). I just always looked forward to having a little bit of my own, I guess. I will never forget how Clara Bell would sleep in a box on top of the downstairs refrigerator until Clarence came along. And how Clarence would sit right outside my mother's bedroom window, right over her head and welcome the new day.

We have never found any sign of the Ameracauna Pullet, just all of her feathers. Since I make jewelry, hubby gathered up as many nice ones as he could and has stashed them away for me until I can face making something with them. Just not right now. I will say that all of my remaining babies are being spoiled rotten and hubby isn't complaining at the moment. Our mama hen seems to be rejecting her biggest cockeral (they are about five weeks and he is big but beautiful). I finally relented and let the babies roam for a few hours this afternoon but kept a watchful eye on them and then about an hour before dusk, I stayed out with them until they all went to bed. I noticed that this baby was wandering by himself and thought what a brave little boy. Then, I watched twice as he tried to join his mother and brothers and sisters and both times, mama hen gave a war cry, pecked him and chased him across the yard. We were finally able to catch him and I held him as I rocked in my lawn chair and fed him some treats. He decided he needed to hide in my long hair and dozed off as I sang Jesus Loves Me to him and he trilled along! It was so cute and no one will ever believe me but at least my husband got to see and hear it. If I stopped singing, he would open his eyes r lift his head off my shoulder until I started again, then he would close his eyes, lay his head down and trill some more. Not sure if I made the right decision, but once mama and the sibs were in their small coop for bed, I placed him back in with them and checked several times to see if mama would reject him from the coop. She didn't do anything before we finally left them for the night. We will check on him first thing in the morning and if it is more of the same, he will come in during the day with my silkies (who are waiting for mama to move out of their new home) and just take him out for the time I can sit there and keep an eye on him. I just worry about any of them running around alone right now. I also noticed that the remaining Ameracauna pullet and the ducks will not enter the coop through the main doors right now. They make me open the play pen area and then decide if they want to sleep there or go through the pass through to sleep inside once the big doors are closed.

Just picked up some coleus canina for $4.69 for very healthy looking plants. Also called Doggone or Scaredy Cat plant. It also supposed to keep away Fox and some other undesirables for chicken homes. We will be planting on either side of the coop doors and will pinch some off to help it spread around the entire perimeter of our babies homes. Hoping it doesn't make or own cats too cranky, but it is worth every penny spent if it saves the lives of our babies. Thinking we need to cultivate it all around the perimeter of our property to keep the cats away from the road. Lol.

So sorry for the hard time that has come to not only your beloved hubby but also your chickens:( I agree with Panda, a a bag and the trash can will work. I know I am coming in late on this one but I just wanted you to know that I will pray for your hubby, you, and your little homestead!

Lord Bless you real good my friend:)

Thank you so much, Matt! We welcome all prayer. We know that God is still in the business of miracles and answering prayers. My husband and I are both living, breathing and walking proof of that. May have to find a way to share our testimony some time. It is a long one but the beauty of God and His tender mercy is throughout.
God Bless you and your family, I hope you get to see a miracle today.

You can share your testament on our social forum:) I would love to read it! Here is a short one I did on how Home Farm Ideas started in part!