A family in McLean, Virginia, is alerting the community that thieves might be at work after a prized goose and 10 chickens disappeared from their property without a trace.
It’s not uncommon to see a chicken on the front porch of Chris Gilbert’s McLean home.
But most of the chickens, ducks and geese are in an expansive, fenced-in area on the property where he and his daughter Esther tend to them for their small business, Bullneck Run Farm.
The birds share the space with a sheep named Molly and some goats.
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"You got to get up in the morning, let 'em out, feed 'em, check on them midday and then at night you have to come tuck them in bed, lock them up because we have predators," Chris Gilbert said.
Predators like foxes are one reason they got some Sebastopol geese, which have striking white curly feathers.
Their size, loud honk and big wings are good for scaring off foxes.
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"I watched this male goose geek this fox through the air. It was like a cartoon," he said.
Last Saturday morning, the Gilberts were surprised when they went to open the coop.
"I noticed, oh, the coop doors are open. I’m missing a bunch of birds," Esther Gilbert said.
One of the female, egg-laying Sebastopol geese was gone, along with 10 chickens but no sign of a predator.
"I looked for evidence of fox murder. I didn’t see anything. No feathers. No blood. Because there’s always evidence," Chris Gilbert said.
The Gilberts say they then realized their camera system had been disabled for a time. They concluded someone must have stolen the birds.
"It was very very upsetting because I’m very vigilant. I care about these birds a lot and I do my best to take care of them,"
Esther Gilbert said it’s not the first time someone stole chickens. She says at least 15 were taken before.
"Who would just take a chicken? I feel like it's more than that. Stepping on someone’s property, stepping over the line and intentionally taking ... something," Esther Gilbert said.
Chris Gilbert posted about the suspected theft on social media to alert his neighbors.
The Gilberts said they're now focused on keeping the rest of the flock as safe as they can and they plan to file a police report.
