My heart breaks for this family of a small farm in California……….
A California farmer is searching for the culprit behind the disappearance of almost 300 specialty hens that lay unusual colored pastel eggs.
White and brown eggs may be perfectly good for most of the year but around Easter, it’s all about pastels, making the suspected theft even more problematic for the small family-owned operation.
Around March 8, Gerald Leuschen of Buddy’s Farm in Cotati, Calif.—a small town in Sonoma County—went to release his cooped chickens for the day when he noticed the fence was already unlocked and a few birds loitering outside, reports The Press Democrat. After finding no signs of a predator, Leuschen continued to tend to the chickens as usual.
Initially, Leuschen and his wife weren’t sure what had happened but after counting the flocks, the farmer realized that about 300 birds were missing—nearly half of his entire chicken population.
“We calculate the cost of each bird from chick to layer to be approximately $100. This includes the cost On top of that, we are losing approximately $120/day in revenue for the eggs they would be producing,” Buddy’s Farm Facebook page says. “This is a devastating blow to our family as it will take another complete season to get back to where we were.”
