A family says callous thieves reached a “new level of evil” by killing their hens and ducks, with six laid out in a neat row and 22 still missing.
Hairdresser Gail Edwards said the thugs killed the birds by ringing their necks after accessing her home in Connah’s Quay, Flintshire via the town's cemetery.
Many of the animals had been hand-bred by Gail and son Alfie to provide a distraction for his autism.
During lockdown, eggs from the flock were distributed to isolating families, reports NorthWalesLive.
Gail said: “Since it happened my dad has been keeping guard in the garden because I’m terrified they might come back."
Reaction in the local community has been one of shock and disbelief.
When Gail’s brother Robert appealed for CCTV footage on Facebook, to catch the chickens’ “murderers”, he said the killers had reached a “new level of evil”.
Other users labelled the thieves as “vile” and “scumbags”.
One wrote: “Words fail me. Sickening to the stomach, these people deserve to rot in hell. Breaks my heart that anyone could be so cruel.”
Some speculated the thefts were linked to predicted shortages of poultry this Christmas.
“It’s probably a gang or a group of teenagers,” said a local resident.
“With the news that there could be a shortage of meats for Xmas, some people have thought, let’s get them and sell them on nearer Xmas and make some money.”
On Sunday evening, the birds were locked up in a shed adjoining their aviary in the garden of the house as usual, said Gail.
The next morning she looked down from her bedroom window and saw the smaller breeds out in the aviary.
She said: “That couldn’t be, as I’d shut them away for the night. Then I realised they weren’t moving.”
After hurrying down to the garden, Gail was horrified by what she found.
Six dead birds were laid out in a line, and 22 others were missing.
At first a fox was suspected. Typically, however, their killings are frenzied: often they bite off heads and bury some of their victims.
“There was no blood and no signs of entry under the fence,” said Gail, 44.
“Neither would foxes lay out the dead in a row or leave no trace of the 22 missing birds.
“I have seen the aftermath of a fox attack and this was nothing like that.”
Gail’s father Gwilym noticed the birds had been strangled and so the culprit had to be humans, she said.
Her mum Karen added: “It wasn’t an animal – not a four-legged one anyway.”
CCTV failed to find any evidence of entry via the front, but searches of the garden revealed a fence had been cut from the cemetery side.
Police have visited the property and have listed the incident as theft, said Gail.
“They don’t have conclusive proof but it all points that way,” she said.
Gail began expanding her poultry flock during the first lockdown last year.
As well as rescued cage hens, she has larger breeds like Blackrock and Leghorn chickens. A few are fancy breeds, like Silkies and Polish hens.
The collection includes a few Indian Runner ducks and the showstopper is a Chinese Golden pheasant.
They are regarded as pets and all have names.
It quickly became apparent that the larger, table birds had been targeted as 10 smaller ones survived.
“Whoever did this knew what they were doing,” said Gail.
“Not only did they kill them cleanly, they knew which birds to select. It looks like they opened the hatch and grabbed the birds as they came out.
“So they probably stole them for meat, either for themselves or to sell on."
Gail continued: “We think they left six dead birds behind because they were too heavy to carry.
“I’ve had to put them in the bin for proper disposal, as you’re not allowed to bury them, and they were quite a weight.
“To carry away that many suggests there was more than one person, perhaps even a gang.”
The family is hoping nearby residents will check their CCTV cameras. The theft took place in the early hours of Monday morning.
While the local community has been quick to offer its support, Gail said she still lies awake at night.
Gail also has a daughter, Caitlin, and a grandson, Logan, who was smitten with the birds.
She still has to explain what happened to Alfie and Logan.
“I’ve only told Alfie a little about what’s happened, as he’s away with his dad at the moment,” said Gail.
“Logan doesn’t know anything yet and it will be so hard.”
Last week North Wales Police warned of "increasing reports of anti-social behaviour caused by youths" near the old Somerfield building in Connah's Quay High Street.
Its North Flintshire team said officers will be stepping up patrols and dealing "robustly" with any incidents.
