ali-s Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Late yesterday afternoon Tufty and Amber were taken, I presume by a fox. I was in the garden while they were free ranging. They were all following me around while I filled up the coal scuttles and collected kindling from the wood store. The phone rang and I left them for about 5 minutes. In that time Amber and Tufty dissapeared Bertha and Lily were waiting by the door when I went to go out again. I searched the whole of the garden until it was dark but couldn't find the other two anywhere. This morning I found a few of Tufty's downy feathers right at the far end of the garden I can't find any of Amber's feathers and I have searched the garden at least 5 times today. I keep hoping she will re appear I didn't hear any commotion coming from the garden whilst I was on the phone so I hope their end was quick Hopefully this will be the end of the attacks as I have recently lost most of my Banties to Weasel/Stoat attacks. again while they were freeranging and I was in the garden but out of site of the Banties I caught sight of a Stoat/Weasel just seconds after it had killed Pepsi my Pekin Not sure at the moment if I want to carry on keeping Chickens this wasn't how it was supposed to be when we moved here in July. I had plans for lots more chickens and Ducks as well. I was planning to cut down my hours a work so I had more time to look after my increasing flock. Well I had better go and edit my signature again. Amber will stay there for a little while longer just incase she returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skye Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Really sorry to hear about your girls ali-s. I really hope Amber returns to your garden soon. Let us know how things progress. There seem to be so many fox attacks at this time of year when food gets scarce. Really sorry you're feeling disillusioned about keeping chickens at the moment. It's hard to focus on how gorgeous, fun, entertaining and useful they are at times like this. From a practical point of view, if your garden is susceptible to other predators as well as foxes such as weasels and stoats, is it worth getting some electric fencing perhaps? Otherwise a huge big predator-proof run with lots of perches and dustbathing opps for them to be secure in perhaps? Thinking of you and your girls skye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 So sorry to hear that. It can happen so quickly - you can't watch them every minute of every day. Maybe electric fencing would be worth investing in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Alison, I am so sorry to hear of your losses. I can only begin to imagine how you must be feeling. Would it be possible to fence off a section of garden for your ladies At least that way they would have a bit of "free" ranging. Thinking of you. Allisonx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 So sorry to hear that Ali - what a blow. Have you thought about getting one of those Foxwatch sonic devices? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted December 19, 2008 Author Share Posted December 19, 2008 Thanks for your replies Amber hasn't turned up and I don't think she will now. Still haven't found any of her feathers. I searched the garden three more times but nothing. I have found the remains of tufty Not a pretty sight The two remaining Yorkshire girls had a little free range with me following their every move, just half an hour as it is freezing cold , wet and windy here and I am not well. The Banties prefer to stay in the run when the weather is nasty. I have the Omlet netting so hopefully sparky Andy can find a way of electrifying it. We need to move the Eglus as at the moment they are bare earth and I don't want the fox to come digging. The runs are weighted down with slabs and stones but now I am a bit paranoid. I will put the Eglus on a paved area but I will not then be able to see them from the house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 So sorry to hear this. How upsetting for you. Could you trap the weasel/stoat do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Im sorry to hear your news, i had a similar problem when I first started keeping chickens, a buzzard took my first one, fox took another then a fox killed another 4, now I have a walk in run and the girls are only let out when i can stand out with them. i loved the idea of them free ranging around the garden but it really s not safe for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Really sorry to hear that news - I've lost a couple in the last few weeks to a stoat which isn't pleasnt. Ours have been shut in their big run ever since - the extended bit won't be finished for a wee while yet. Difficult not to let it all get you down. Sheila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 had a similar problem when I first started keeping chickens, a buzzard took my first one,. Funny you should mention Buzzards. We have quite a few Buzzards who live in a small wood across the field. For the last few days I have seen Buzzards quite close to the house, sitting on the electricity poles. Even before I posted my message about the Fox attack it had crossed my mind it might have been a Buzzard. I dissmissed the idea because I thought a Hybrid sized chicken would be too big for a Buzzard. Poor Tufty's body was near to one of the poles when I found her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenmb Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I'm so sorry to hear your news Ali. I keep my girls in a large covered run when I am not about to supervise and they seem very happy. If I had more land I'd electrify the omlet netting. I have found a few threads about this and have posted them both here for you which might help. Electrifying the wire netting and Question about electrifying the Omlet netting. I also remember reading somewhere else on another forum that is really important that the grass below the netting is kept short otherwise it shorts out the circuit and then makes is less effective. So have seen that people have mowed round (or strimmed) underneather to overcome this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Sorry for your loss Alison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 Thanks for the links on electrifying the netting Helen Before we moved to the cottage we had a large covered walk in run at our previous home. I decided not to bring it with us even though the new owners said we could return and collect it when we had settled in here. I wonder if they have still got it I do know it was still in place when I popped to see them in September. I'm not sure the walk in run would survive the ferocious winds that whip across our property here. At our previous place on the coast the run would take quite a battering in the Winter gales and we were alsways having to replace bits of it that had blown away The wind here is just as bad if not worse (like last night , very scary ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 So sorry about Tufty and Amber, that was such a tragic end . Hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Sorry to hear about your girls. Best wishes, Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Sorry to read about your girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 Well it has happened again Yesterday Bertha and Lily were out in the garden with us. Andy was at the back of the cottage clearing an area for the Eglus and the Netting which we were going to electrify. I was at the front tidying up the Eglus. Lily was with me and Bertha was with Andy. Bertha must have wandered off without Andy noticing. By the time we realised Bertha was gone it was too late It was a Stoat/weasel attack. Someone came to the cottage to tell us they had disturbed it down the lane with Bertha I now think Tufty and Amber went the same way and it wasn't a fox after all. The chickens have only been out of the run when one of us have been in the garden since the attack on Tufty and Amber. I was talking to someone at work who has kept Chickens for years and they told me a Stoat/Weasel would attack a large chicken. Only yesterday morning I was thinking about replacing some of my lovely girls and now I am not sure what to do So now I am down to two Chickens Jeremy passed away 2 weeks ago after a short illness, she died before I could get her to the Vets Last week Lily had a prolapse, although I managed to sort that out myself and she is looking much better. She has stopped laying but I guess that is for the best. Bubbles the last of my original girls is still enjoying life but she doesn't lay any more. Bubbles is in the red Eglu and Lily is in the green one, I will have to decide if maybe I can put them both together. Can you get traps for Stoats/Weasels? I am not sure if this is a viable option. Our garden is about 3/4 of an acre, open to fields on all sides. I have our kitten Miley and Archie our tiny Dog to consider and wouldn't want anything that could trap them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Do sorry to hear your news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I am so sorry to hear this has happened again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 So sorry to hear about your chooks Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Sorry to hear about your loss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 So sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 How rotten for you. I am sorry. You can trap stoats with either a Fenn trap or a live catch trap....but then yu have the thorny problem of disposing of the offender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 So Sorry Ali. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanessa Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 So sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
