4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[bekibutton]

OK, a bit of backstory on this....

 

We've never had a problem with foxes in our garden. Living as we do in front of a nature reserve, they've always been more interested in the ducks and geese than our chickens. However, when the snow was down last week, my dad was alerted by a commotion amongst the chickens to what he says was a fox-like creature in the garden, following which we lost Rosie and an ex-batt called Sophia. There were lots of Rosie feathers and red feathers across the garden.

 

This evening I went to shut the chickens in for the night at about 8pm and there is no sign of any of our remaining eight chickens. Boris the hen laid her egg as usual this morning and there's enough of their food gone to indicate that they were there most of today.

 

Now it could just be that they've all gone to roost somewhere other than their houses because of the bad weather, but I'm worried that they've all been 'got'. We were just thinking of getting a couple more chooks to boost our ageing flock but now there's the possibility of having to buy a whole new flock (after first securing the garden of course). I'm really quite upset

 

All I can do is wait till the morning (the night and the rain are not helpful when searching for chickens) and hope that they reappear. But I will be very sad if they don't.

 

Apologies for going off on one, I just had to share with people who will understand...

 

Becki

[Egluntyne]

So sorry to hear it.

 

Fingers crossed that they turn up safe and sound in the morning.

[kez]

Oh no! I do hope they turn up. Fingers crossed

[Chickvic]

Hope they come home.

[miffy]

I'm hoping they have hidden in the shrubs and bushes to get out of the grotty weather

[sparkysmum]

Beckie, am hoping for the best but fearing the wirst Good luck with your marathon training

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Oh no . Fingers crossed they're all sheltering somewhere .

[Gamebird]

Oh dear. I do hope you find them.

[raffik]

Hi Becki

 

Fingers crossed that your chooks will be back and waiting for you in the morning.

You must be so worried

 

Please let us know what happens xx

[bekibutton]

No sign of any of them this morning

 

You'd think if it was a fox, or even if someone had nicked them, that there'd be feathers all over the place but there's no sign at all...and I can't believe that all eight of them would have totally disappeared.

 

Lucy managed to escape to the orchard next to next door the other day so I'm really hoping the bantams at least might have found their way there if there was a commotion...

 

Not much I can do now anyway, I have to go to work, and keep hoping that they reappear.

[Groovychook]

Oh dear , you must be so worried... keeping everything crossed for you & your girls.x

[ClaireG]

they turn up for you.

[Olly]

oh no, you must be so worried. Hope there's some news.

[cam1]

What anightmare i hope that they turn up when you are back from work

cam

mya

velma

[SLK69]

got my fingers crossed that they will turn up. Susie

[LJ's Chooks]

oh i do hope your girls come back...

 

Please let us have some good news. x

[helenmb]

Oh no, what a worry, I do hope you find them asap. Thinking of you.

[Ygerna]

I really hope that they have simply taken themselves off to a spot they consider safe.

[jackiepoppies]

Hi Beki,

 

Is there any news this evening?

 

Keeping fingers crossed for you.

 

Jackiex

[bekibutton]

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts.

 

However there are sadly still no chooks in the garden this evening. It's a mystery. I'm almost tempted to say they were abducted by aliens! There's no sign of any commotion, no piles of feathers anywhere either inside or outside the fence (we back onto a small field). No pawprints or fox fur hanging off the barbed wire or holes under the fence.

 

I'm starting to think it might have been people - the chooks would be quite easy to take once they were inside their house for the night. And they've *all* gone - I mean, would a fox/foxes take all eight chickens without trace? Or a dog, or anything similar?

 

Thank you all for listening to my ramblings, you must think I'm mad just appearing on the board when none of you have seen me before (I'm a serial forum lurker). I'm very grateful to you all

[Louisdog]

I think it was probably a fox sorry

 

We had one take 4 in the middle of the day, he came back for a 5th too. We did manage to get a couple back off him by chasing. But the mad thing was that he didn't leave a trace; he just grabbed chook and ran, came back 20 mins later for next, and so on.

 

Once they discover chickens they are extremely persistent We cannot let ours out anymore

[chelsea]

oh dear, I am so sorry to hear they havent returned.

[Louisdog]

Do check the hedges etc though, you never know, we found one in a dense bush hours after the attack. Fingers crossed anyway.

[jackiepoppies]

Hi Bekibutton!

 

Serial forum lurker?..........After nearly 3 years, isn't it time you joined in proper like

 

So sorry there is no news. Will you get some more?

 

Jackiex

 

Edited for typo!

[Redwing]

I'm really sorry they haven't turned up, I hope this doesn't put you off chicken keeping forever x