2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[alex_m]

I'm absolutley devastated. Not as much as my surviving chook who of course is terrified of every moving thing.

I hope this will be a warning to people that no matter how safe you feel always and I mean always shut your run at night.

Mine have been fine being left with it open(I've had them almost a year now). Due to absent mindedness. sometimes sleeping in the garden which led me to a false sense of security.

 

If you've got this far then thank you and I ask, where do I go from here? do I stick with one? replace my lost one ( only in numbers, never in personality)? Or maybe get two so they bed in better?

 

Eggs really arent my priority. I'm absolutely gutted and feeling very guilty for being so complacent that ive lost my favourite girl. Just feel lost. I want to give up looking after them. Except for the bravery of my surviving girl. I cant give up as shes awesome bless her!!

 

I wont give her up as shes a fighter! Or let her down again.

 

R.I.P Tilly

[Space Chick]

I am so sorry to hear about Tilly

 

Is your surviving girl injured at all? If she is, then she will need time to recover from any injurys. If she isn't injured then I would introduce ASAP.

 

I would recommend that you get 2 more girls, as should be easier to introduce, your old girl will be established, so the boss but she won't be able to bully 2 newbies at once. That said, following sensible introduction plans of keeping the separated initially is a good idea.

 

Once thing I would recommend is that you get a run converter to give yourself a larger run (especially as now you will be confining your girls more due to the fox )

 

Lots of people have split the run into 2 as a temporary measure using garden canes as a divider (see FAQ's)

 

Let us know how you get on, and thanks for the warning. It is so easy to get complacent when nothing has happened, it just proves that you always need to be on your guard, and I am so deeply sorry that you are needing to share this with us having found out the hard way

 

Hugs

Debs

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear it. A very hard lesson learned.

 

I'd get 2 companions to occupy her and take her mind off things.

 

Good advice from Space Chick.

[Purplemaniacs]

Sorry to hear about Tilly.

 

I agree with the others get 2 more easier to introduce 2 to 1. Also in the future when you lose your older girl you won't be left with one lonely one again.

 

Chrissie

[Seagazer]

Sorry to hear about Tilly

[ISCA]

Sorry to hear about the incident with the fox. I hope your other hen recovers from the shock soon. You are right, we should always be on our guard, the fox relies on us dropping our vigelence.

[Olly]

So sorry to hear it, but it can happen to anyone. Definitely get two more, for the reasons given above.

[SusieB123]

I am so so sorry to hear about Tilly. I can feel how devastated you are in your post, but please carry on and get more girls to bring you more happiness.

[alex_m]

Thank you for your kind words.

Tallulah is ok just shocked still. Missing tilly lots as she was making noises this morning

I will look into getting two more then. Don't want her to be lonely.

Will get the run convertor and only let them out supervised.

Once again thank you for your kind words. It has helped lift my mood a little

[chicken bark]

I can't add anything to the good advice given above.

 

I just wanted to say how sorry I am and hope you and Tallulah are recovering from the shock.

[Isabel]

That's awful ... I'm sorry about Tilly.

[alex_m]

Thank you both. We're soldiering on she's eaten some dried worms not alot else though. She's lost alot of feathers but she's going to be ok. Think she's coping better than me. I found tilly and buried her

[Sheilaz]

............... where do I go from here? do I stick with one? replace my lost one ( only in numbers, never in personality)? Or maybe get two so they bed in better?

R.I.P Tilly

 

Aw, my heart goes out to you, I'm sorry you learnt the hard way, but we all live & learn & it was brave of you to post your experience to help others, we shall heed your warning.

 

I totally agree with Rachel. A couple of new, POL girls would be the best action, ASAP, & read all you can about introductions, there are lots of posts on this.

 

Tilly will never be replaced, but you & Tallulah need a positive way forward, then you can enjoy chickenkeeping again, you obviously care a lot.

 

All the best, keep us posted, RI.P.Tilly.

 

(I did post this morning, but moved it from the other topic)

[alex_m]

Thank you teabag.

I was going to rush out tomorrow and get two more but after reading about introducing them slowly I'm going to have to get the right things in place before I get the girls. This will be mean tallulahs on her own for a week. Is this ok?

[Olly]

She'll be ok for a week, it won't do her any harm but you'll notice her looking forlorn and unhappy. A week's ok though, best to get things in place properly for introductions.

[squidsin]

Do you mean you left the door to the coop open overnight, or the door to the whole run?! I'm extra wary myself at the mo as a fox tried to tunnel into my Eglu a few nights ago. He failed but it still gave me a bit of a shock in the morning finding a big hole under the coop! We've got 6 foot fences round our garden and have chicken wired all the gaps but he still got in! I am not too worried about FRing them in the day when I am there, as there are loads of people in all the gardens around and they stay close to the house, but there IS always a risk you'll lose a chook if you let them out. I guess you just have to weigh up the risks and decide what kind of life you want them to have. Sorry for your loss btw.

[alex_m]

Thank you. I have always left the door to the eglu open (until now). I left the door to the run open though

Tallulahs doing a lot better today. Trying to steal my lunch and happily trotting round the garden showing everyone her bare bum still nervy but very keen to be let out.

[Debby Tutton]

So sorry to hear your news, how dreadful for you and your remaining girl. Give her a hug from us all.

 

I suggest you get another but introduce them gradually. Chooks are flock birds afterall.

 

Keep chirping if you can.

[alex_m]

Thanks debby. We are coping. My little boy was pretty upset when he saw the grave. I feel guilty and don't think I'll ever completly forgive myself. I know she needs some company so I'm getting a run extension tomorrow and then two more at the weekend hopefully. Have a rabbit hutch for temporary housing. Hopefully I'm good to go.

[stinkyeggynugget]

Hey Alex_M

I made the same mistake as you, and lost two of my lovely girls to the fox. I felt guilt ridden and wanted to give up. such a stupid, stupid mistake that cost me so dear.

I know it doesn't make things any easier but getting some new chooks will help you get over the pain of your loss. My surviving chook nugget pined for the other two terribly and I rushed out and got her two new companions ASAP. I seperated my eglu run with canes and housed her indoors ( after the attack she got really stressed at dusk). After 3 days I got caught in traffic on the way home from work and didnt get back until after dark, my Nugget somehow managed to squeeze thru the canes and I found all three snuggled together in the eglu, since then we haven't looked back, she is now top chook and is happy with her two new companions to scratch around with and I feel better that shes now contented and I WILL NEVER FORGET TO SHUT THE RUN GATE AGAIN.

 

Really feel for you, don't beat yourself up, your only human

 

Sue x

[alex_m]

Aww how sweet to come home to that. Thank you Sue for your kind words.

I'm set on getting two as although she's perked up alot she is making a lot of noise so think she is calling out to tilly.

I'm all set to go bar the girls and some canes. Just trying to decide what breeds to get now

[Minnie&Moose]

So sorry to hear about Tilly. We lost Myrtle this weekend, probably to a fox, so can understand how you feel. Looks like the Oxford foxes are pretty active at the moment! Good luck with the new girls.

[johnandkymberley]

Just want to say sorry to hear about your loss, must have been quite a shock. I would introduce two more, for Tallulah's sake and yours, Take care xxxx

[alex_m]

Thank you both. Tallulah and I are having fun in the garden and she's up to more mischief. Trying to eat the ties on my hoody. She's fine but I'm not home til late tomorrow so hope she'll be ok on here own.

Yes minnie they are out and about. I'm sorry for your loss. It's a horrible thing to go through

[Mandy]

I'm so sorry for you. I know how easily this can happen as the other night we were just going up to bed and I said to my hubby 'did you lock the chickens up' and he said no - we'd nearly forgotten. That night a fox got into our garden although luckily not into the Eglu run or house (they have a chicken wire fence around their run to give them more space).

 

Squidsin -"We've got 6 foot fences round our garden and have chicken wired all the gaps but he still got in!" - We also have 6' fences with no gaps - hubby got up to go to the loo, saw the security light was on, saw the fox and shouted at it and it shot vertically up our 6' fence!

 

We were so lucky. Now my husband is building a WIR for them with super strength chicken wire on all sides and on the top and below (under the mud surface). We are just too scared to let them out into their bigger space just in case. My , Doris has stopped laying since the fox although hopefully she'll start again. The good news for me is that the walk in run means I will have space for 2 more chickens so hopefully on Sunday I will be getting two new girls!!

 

Does anyone know of any good chicken suppliers? I live near Watford, Herts but don't mind travelling a couple of hours! Also, any tips for introducing 2 new chickens to my 2? I was going to wait to put them in the new space all at the same time?