Drama

Last night while the chickens were enjoying some freedom in the yard, one of them started squawking in a panicked manner.  I went outside to check it out and as soon as I did all the chickens quieted down.  Five of the six chickens gathered near the coop.  I looked around and didn't see anything.  A few minutes later Offspring #1 came home from his walk.  He heard the noise and saw some chicken feathers on my mowed path.  We went outside to investigate.  On the south side of the property on the path, near the windmill, was a big pile of chicken tail feathers.  Ten yards to the east was another pile of chicken feathers that were downier in nature.  A few white downy feathers were strewn towards the house.  The trail of feathers told a story.  Something had nabbed one of the Buff Orpingtons by the tail near the windmill.  The animal got a better hold of the chicken and dragged it towards the house.  I was sad to think of loosing one of my chickens but this is a risk I take when I allow them to roam.  Since the remaining chickens were nervous and staying by the coop we decided to put them away for the night even though there was another hour of sun left in the sky.  When the last chicken had been put to bed and all given fresh water we were about to go inside when around the corner of the north side of the house comes the last Buff Orpington.  I caught her and pulled her into my arms.  She smelled like blood.  We looked.  Most of her long tail feathers were missing and she had a square inch or so of bare skin back there but otherwise she seemed fine.  I didn't see any blood.  She acted fine too.  I gave her  three reassuring strokes with my hand.  I hope she interpreted them as reassuring but I really don't know.  Maybe she hates being petted.  I put her to bed with her sisters.  She looked fine this morning as well.  Who tried to nab my chicken?  I think it would have to be a dog or a fox.  A dog wouldn't have given up as easily when people appeared on the scene.  I think it was a fox.