Feisty Acres Farm owner says more than 60 chickens stolen from property overnight

More than 60 chickens were reportedly stolen from Feisty Acres Farm in Southold, the farm’s owner said in a video posted on their Facebook page.

Abra Morawiec, who founded Feisty Acres with Chris Pinto in 2015, posted the video Sunday morning “as a way to convey the severity and sadness of this situation.”

The Rhode Island Red Started Pullets that are about 5 1/2 months old and were intended to boost the farm’s egg supply for customers on the North Fork, in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Community Supported Agriculture members, Ms. Morawiec said.

The pullets were about to start laying eggs in the next couple of weeks, she added.

The thefts occurred sometime between 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Ms. Morawiec said. Southold Town police chief Martin Flatley said a report was filed early Sunday afternoon and police are investigating.

Ms. Morawiec said there was evidence of a vehicle entering the pasture and birds outside the coop and fence, “possibly being put into crates or piled up.”

About 32 pullets remain out of the original 96 that the farm purchased in January. A pullet is a young chicken that has not yet started to lay eggs.

“We are now going to only get 30 or so extra eggs a day instead of between 80 and 90 extra eggs a day,” Ms. Morawiec said.

Ms. Morawiec, who could not immediately be reached Sunday for additional comment, vowed to add security cameras around the property, which has multiple entrances, she said.

She said it was “upsetting” and “heartbreaking” to see the pullets that they had been raising to be taken.

She said it may be possible to get new pullets to make up for the loss, but it’s currently late in the season.

The pullets are a deep mahogany color and are still growing in their wattles and combs. They also have black accents on their tail tips and wing tips.

“If anybody local sees 60 chickens hanging around in someone’s backyard or wherever and they weren’t there the other day, they could be ours,” she said. “Who knows.”

The Facebook video had been viewed more than 3,000 times within six hours of posting.

Feisty Acres was launched on leased land at Biophilia Organic Farm in Jamesport and now operates on a seven-acre farm off Route 48 in Southold. The farm raises turkeys as well as quail and other poultry.