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hilda-and-evadne

Fox got both of them

By hilda-and-evadne, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

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hilda-and-evadne All Knowing Superchicken

hilda-and-evadne

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I went out about 20 minutes ago to give the hens their afternoon treat. Both were dead, their heads bitten off. One was in the run, the other in the eglu (presumably tried to hide).

 

And the fox was hiding in the dog's kennel. My dog chased him down the garden but he couldn't get out that end so he scrambled back into the chicken run. I grabbed my dog by the collar and watched the fox climb back in by, presumably, the same way he got in the first time. (He was quite a small fox.) Then he had trouble getting out but eventually managed to squeeze through a small gap between the weldmesh of one side and the weldmesh roof, pulling himself up on the weldmesh. If I'd had a gun I would have had plenty of time to shoot him.

 

I am still in shock, I think. It looks as if the end was very quick for my two but I am sorry that I didn't manage to protect them better. (I have put the corpses in a black bin bag in a galvanised dustbin, so that the fox cannot come back for them.)

 

I have three hens on order from Wernlas, for sometime in January, and I will see if I can up this to four. In the meantime, I will have to improve the run so that the fox cannot squeeze in anywhere.

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hilda-and-evadne All Knowing Superchicken

hilda-and-evadne

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Oh, poor you!!!

Urban foxes are such a nightmare - when they're not scared of people you can't even rely on being able to chase them off. Fix the run up and am sure all will be fine for the new ones coming.

Virtual hugs!

 

Thank you. Yes, this has been salutary - I've been more worried about doing whatever is necessary to keep rats out - I didn't think that a fox could get in but now I know where to make the run more secure.

 

I've ordered an Exchequer Leghorn from Wernlas but, if none is ready by the time the other three (Maran, Light Sussex, Cream Legbar) are ready, I'll be happy with another breed. What matters is that they all get on together.

 

I am determined that this won't happen again.

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hilda-and-evadne All Knowing Superchicken

hilda-and-evadne

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How awful for you and if it helps, I've been there too as have many on the forum.

 

Yes; and I knew that losing one or more hens might be the price they paid for me to learn how to be a better poultry-keeper. It seems to be an almost inevitable "milestone" on the learning path.

 

Even after experiencing a fox attack, I'm not even sure I could bring myself to shoot it, probably just end up throwing my wellies at it !!

 

Hmm - sorry, if I'd had the means to hand, I'd have killed the fox immediately. Even while the dog and I were watching it scramble back into the run I was casting around to see if there was anything in the garden with which I could kill it.

 

Hope you feel better soon.

 

Thank you. My overwhelming feeling is that I am so sorry that I failed to protect them. I'd feel a lot worse if I didn't have the prospect of new hens already on order and - therefore - something to look forward to and a reason to make the run like Fort Knox and so do better next time.

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hilda-and-evadne All Knowing Superchicken

hilda-and-evadne

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At least you know where the problem lies and you can make it like Fort Knox for your new arrivals next month.

 

Yes. Although the run had kept the hens secure for 10 months, this fox must have been pretty hungry because he went in - and out - through a very narrow gap, and he must have lacerations on his back from the edges of the weldmesh.

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Chook n Boo Mum Eggcentric Egluowner

Chook n Boo Mum

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Golly, I'm so sorry to hear your awful news. I spend so much of my time flitting in and out of the garden checking on my chooks when they are free-ranging - although so far we've been lucky, I suspect it will only be a matter of time before the fox works out when the dogs are shut in and the chooks are out.

 

RIP H & E,

 

Sha x

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Jules. Eggcentric Egluowner

Jules.

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I'm really sorry to read this thread :(

My girls have been out since 8am this morning without supervision, & I've just gone to lock them away after reading about what has happened.

 

Can I ask how big your gap is where the fox got through, & where it is located? Only because I have gaps at the top of my walk-in run, which are about 5 feet off the ground, as seen here where the roof slopes

 

3045340225_3dd1a8962f.jpg

 

I have some bits of weldmesh left which I will hammer on today to make it secure.

 

Sending you lots of (((hugs)))

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