Authorities are investigating a cut fence and 100 missing chickens from a property in Ottawa.

“We have no idea what happened,” said Franklin County Sheriff Jeffry Curry. “But they’re missing.”

The missing birds, along with a missing four-wheel ATV and $1,000 mower were reported to police Saturday, Curry said. The owner, from Leawood, doesn’t live on the property, which is on the southeast edge of Ottawa, so it’s not exactly clear when the theft occurred.

A padlock to the property was undamaged, and it appeared the thieves gained access by cutting the fence.

Curry said it’s not unusual to field reports of livestock thefts in the county, but it’s generally for theft of larger animals, such as cattle or horses.

Could the birds have sneaked off through the empty fence? Curry said that’s unlikely, as they haven’t had any reports of loose fowl in the area.

Curry said they’ll follow up on the case like any other property theft.

“We absolutely take it seriously,” Curry said. “For the victim, it’s a pretty big deal.”

Curry estimates the chickens’ value at $600.

Police are hoping that a tip helps crack the case, but there are “no leads as of yet,” Curry said.

Because chickens aren’t tagged or branded, the sheriff says he’s not sure how they’ll be identified.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.