Jenny Smedley Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Hi all , I don't know how to start this as Im still trying to stop crying - my husband doesn't get it as although he loves our 2 dogs , he doesn't get how I can get so attached to my chickens- last night a fox ( I suspect from the carnage left behind) came & killed all my hens. The thing I want to warn everyone is that my wire fence was over 5 ft high as was the wooden gate, which was still locked . The fence is dug well into the ground & there are no breaches - how did it get in??? A neighbour , who is an ex farmer ( and found 2 of my hens partially buried in his garden) said that a fox can climb a mesh fence easily , especially if hungry or with cubs to feed. The thing is , like lots of people I suspect, I'd leave the door a couple of ins ajar so my girls could push their way out early in the morning as I'm not good at getting up v. early ( I have a long term condition that makes it difficult to get going). I thought I was doing them a favour as I was confident in my fence set up. Looking at the blood & feathers I can't imagine the awful death they had & basically it's my fault for not locking the door of the eglu. I wouldn't wish this on anyone -PLEASE CLOSE & LOCK THE DOOR OF THE EGLU AT NIGHT. Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Oh Jenny, I'm so sorry . What a horrible shock for you and no wonder you're upset. Thinking of you . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Smedley Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Im so sorry about your hens Jenny We do get attached to our girls dont we. I agree the fox musnt be under estimated and thanks for your warning, I've always locked the door at night and hopefully people with foxes in their area that dont shut their doors will take your advice. Are you going to get any more when you've got over this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keanie Bean Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 What a shame, I'm so sorry you have lost all your chickens in such an awful way. I always lock my door as we are in a built up area where the foxes dont care and will not bolt at the sight of a human even. I do hope you get over this and can enjoy keeping chickens once more. Sarah.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 What a terrible shame - I'm so sorry for you. xxxx hug hug xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Smedley Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 I will keep hens again , just after a bit of time. I just can't believe that the fox could get into my set up. I kept some ex batt hens 20 yrs ago & in an old wooden hut I was given & a fox managed to pull the door off & get my hens !!(it was secured with a peg through a loop so not the most secure) That's why I'm so pleased with the cube - so secure. ( I upgraded from Eglu to cube last year) Well it is if the human locks the door. Looking at the photos of pen set ups I think I'm going to put a roof on - it's just my husband is not that keen on having chickens & so I was trying to keep the pen as u"Ooops, word censored!"trusive as poss. I have this feeling of pride before a fall - I'd sold my eglu ( £310- Eglu's really hold their value - good selling point for Omlet ) on Sun to some first timers who are picking it up this Sat - I was telling them how good it is to have chickens , how easy etc.& looking forward to showing them my girls & how tame they could be etc. etc. when they come I will so hammer home the message that however good your fencing is etc. LOCK THE DOOR. I wouldn't wish this on anyone- this is my 2nd time ( 20 yrs apart) but there isn't going to be a 3rd . Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 What a terrible shock.....I'm so sorry. This is the worst time of year for this type of attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Jenny. Very very sorry to hear about your awful encounter with Mr fox. A farmer we know told us that a very determined fox can actually scale 6ft and more in order to feed its young. I suppose we should never underestimate the determination of these creatures! Thank you for reminding us to be vigilant and safe. Thinking of you.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 What a dreadful thing to happen. Although I am a bloke, I would be devastated like you if that happened to me. Some people just don't understand how attached you can get to your girls. Mr Fox is indeed very sly and cunning, and very agile. I have seen a fox scale a 6 foot fence without even trying. We used to get foxes on top of our garage and they would just jump straight down into our garden. You will need time to get over this, but I hope in the future you can bring some more girls into your life. Just make sure that you put a secure roof onto your run and only let them free range when you are there to keep an eye on them. Good luck and regards Dodge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Smedley Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 I know the hen houses with vertical pop up doors can get an automatic door opener , is there anything on the horizon for the eglu/cube? I suppose it will be difficult for the eglu/cube door design but it would be great if they could. I used to work shifts so it was always difficult & now I'm ill there are some days that I'm bedridden & have to rely on my teenagers- it's not high on their priorities. While I loved opening the door & seeing my girls rushing out ( & telling me off at being late!) , it would be lovely to have an automatic one , specially for Summer - I always locked the door in Winter / bad weather , but on nice days I stupidly left it a little ajar so they could come out as soon as the sun was up. Isn't it amazing that something you did as you thought it would benefit your girls can go so badly wrong ? Anyway will stop droning on about fox etc. More importantly - is there such a thing as an automatic door opener for cube/eglu? ( it took twice , but a learnt lesson!) Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Not yet...and Omleteer has an idea but it has gone no further than that so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HENthusiastic Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 So sorry for your loss and horrible shock. Please try not to be too hard on yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
druids57 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Hi Am so so sorry to hear your news I cant imagine how you are feeling - Take Care of yourself you must have suffered a terrible shock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilda-and-evadne Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Hi all , I don't know how to start this as Im still trying to stop crying - my husband doesn't get it as although he loves our 2 dogs , he doesn't get how I can get so attached to my chickens- last night a fox ( I suspect from the carnage left behind) came & killed all my hens. The thing I want to warn everyone ... basically it's my fault for not locking the door of the eglu. I wouldn't wish this on anyone -PLEASE CLOSE & LOCK THE DOOR OF THE EGLU AT NIGHT. Jenny The human instinct to preserve life is very strong, so it is natural that you are so upset. If it is of any comfort, please know that all the horrifying hen deaths by fox attack reported on this forum make a big, BIG impression on me. Your hens have not died in vain, for I think I am now permanently "innoculated" against ever becoming complacent about the threat foxes present. For all their feistiness and character, hens like any bird are physically fragile creatures. It looks as if, for all practical purposes, one should work on the assumption that the fox (even if not visible, not heard) has nothing else to do all day, any day, any night, except watch for a five-second "window" of opportunity to attack. I hope that you will soon feel able to renew your flock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Sorry to hear your sad news. I would be just as devastated as you. When you say you left the door open, you mean the CUBE door, or the GATE to the run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 So sorry to hear of your traumatic loss, Jenny. Thank you for the warning. I'm no early riser myself and will take it to heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzie Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 How horrible so sorry this has happened to your hens. Thank you for sharing your story with all of us you may have saved countless other hens lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I know the hen houses with vertical pop up doors can get an automatic door opener , is there anything on the horizon for the eglu/cube? So sorry to hear about your hens. I haven't got an eglu/cube so am not sure how the doors open - is it sideways along runners ? I know the automatic door openers you talk about work for vertical AND sideways opening doors, not sure how it would fix to the cube though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Smedley Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 It was the CUBE door- the run we built is still all secure . Although the cube run is big I wanted something even bigger as some days I am bedridden & I wanted my chooks to have plenty of room. They also get out into the garden in the afternoons most days ( with me supervising). ( Sorry still talking in present tense) The fences (lined with chicken mesh for 2 ft) were dug really deep into the ground so nothing ( also thinking of rats) could burrow underneath. The fences were 66ins high . The mistake was no roof.I assumed a fox couldn't climb a 5 & a half ft high fence- wrong. I've since been told they can scale 6 ft fences , also climb trees & go along the branches to drop into the run as well. The Cube door was left a couple of ins ajar on good weather days/Summer as I'd taught the girls to push it open for themselves so they could get out nice & early, even though I didn't leave food out in the Grubs as I've had a rat problem in the past. I have left a pet feeder out though with a timer - it had to be left under the cube for shelter as it's not that robust. Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Smedley Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 Just want to say many thanks for all the good wishes . Just hope that as it's the time of year when foxes are very active that my warning about LOCKING DOORS gets to as many as poss as I've been reviewing posts and lots of people talk about leaving the eglu/cube door ajar- we all think we are doing our girls a favour. Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodle Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I am so sorry to hear your news Jenny. I resucued one of mine from a fox not long after I got them and I know what a dreadful shock that was. I cannot imagine how you must be feeling today. My husband would not understand either. Big hugs to you. As with all of us you sound like you adored your girls. I am sure they had a wonderful life with you. Take care Nicky x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I'm so sorry Jenny. How awful for you. You are right about foxes being able to climb over 5 or 6 foot fences - they can manage anything up to 11 feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 So sorry for your losses Jenny. We have lost rabbits before, they have managed to get them out of rabbit hutches (one rabbit - Nuffink - was stupid enough to keep biting his way through the wire)! It is so awful. I will def keep a strict eye on my hens when they come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Jenny, so sorry to hear of your loss. It must have been awful for you,and I'm sorry that your DH can't understand how you're feeling, I would definitely consider putting a roof on your run, use good quality weld mesh. It won't make your run any more obtrusive that it is already, and you'd then be able to continue leaving the door open if you needed to. <> Hazel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
