Poorly chicken

[Patricia W]

So, so sorry.  It’s heartbreaking 

[Millie-Annie]

I am so sorry  It is truly heartbreaking and that must have been so hard to witness 

[Mercedes55]

Thank you for your kind messages, I think only fellow hen owners can relate to how we bond with them as pets.  Summer had a special bond with my other half, she would follow him everywhere and she had a liking for particular foods, each week she would eat 3 cucumbers and she loved them.  She also loved sunflower hearts, but didn't particularly like chicken pellets!  She would come up on the patio and stand outside the doors of the conservatory if the gate to the lawn was left open! 

[Millie-Annie]

She looks lovely, some of them turn into such characters don't they?

 

My Marigold was a real character, luckily she died of natural causes. Sadly my beautiful Orpington and Brahma were killed by the fox as were my two remaining ex-batts.

 

When Doris, the ex-batt escaped, the people over the back came to let me know.  They said we have tried to catch her but she won't let us near.  My husband and I walked round with the cat carrier, expecting to be chasing her all over the garden.  She was standing on the edge of their pond.  I called her and bless her, with her little wings flapping she ran towards me clucking 'its my mummy come to take me home'  I picked her up popped her in the carrier and my husband said if I hadn't seen that I wouldn't have believed it.  Sadly little Doris became fox bait.

 

 

[Bodypaintingbycat]

We have just started keeping chickens again, we had a huge rainbow flock for years at the farm but promised youngest he could have a mini flock in our new urban garden as he didn't remember living there. We're surrounded by houses here. At the start of lockdown we had our worst hatch ever, and raised Chickum from an egg. (Then bought 2 sexed chicks to keep her company). She is the boys' fave, very snuggly and would have laid my fave green eggs any day now.

We had added the extra door panel to the side near the Eglu hutch end of the run, but rarely use it.

I always shut the hens in but hubby/ boys often don't and I'd not been strict, as I thought the run (an Eglu Go with extended guinea pig run) was the best run we have had, so enclosed & tight.

BIG noise today at 6.30 a.m., I jumped out of bed to see 3 grown fox cubs running off with Chickum - I'd been wall painting until late last night as hubby & kids away for 2 days, so although I'd shut the girls in earlier than usual I hadn't gone out to shut the eglu door for the first time.

I discovered that even though the head of the run door pin was tucked under the lower edge of the all weather run and fully inserted , the foxes had managed to pull the pin completely out and get into the run. It was lying beside the open gate door! Am wishing I had bodged the door so it opened outwards rather than inwards but I expect that wouldn't have made much difference.

Shocked. So sad, she was the prettiest we hen, the boys will be gutted.

Looking at getting clips or carabenas now to hold the door shut...

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Bodypaintingbycat

[sandyhas3chucks]

That is so so sad to read .I had a go once . The door lock worried me so much . I didn't catch it just right once and therefore it wasn't shut ..lucky I saw and used a rear frame around it  after that till I fit rid of it ..

Don't know how old your set up is . But sadly what ive see of the new stuff I really do not think the quality refects the price or standard of the old stuff.... I'm sure you know fox will be back . A bike lock . A chain and a dog lead clip . ..  are things you might get easily today .. 

I've also in haste missed the second eye of a run gate when pinning .

I now count them as I lock up .. 

Good luck and very sad for you ..x

[Beantree]

That's a terrible thing to happen. As said, they will be back tomorrow so make it secure somehow today, even if you just tie it up with wire.