Doody Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Hi, Woke up this morning to feed my chickens and was greeted by an odd cold silence. Mr. Fox got into the brand new 12x9x6 run and killed my girls. I can't believe it - he had dug under the the ground, under slabs, squeezed through floor meshing and just brutally murdered them. We only had three - daughter is gutted and so am i. Love my chickens, had a great home, well looked after and they was also very loving. Shocked is another word at what a mess a fox can make. He had taken one away and just slaughtered the other two. We heard nothing, so as you can imagine was shocked. Thing that annoys me, this is the most secure they have ever been. They often walked around the garden minding there own business and had a small coop to sleep in at night, yet the fox treated the new run like a straw house. Never even seen a fox UNTIL this morning when he decided to come back and look for more. I feel like i have let them down, tried to do the best for them yet it just wasn't good enough. Kinda unsure what to do know as i had slabs, mesh and everything, yet it got in, and back out. Gutted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 That's just awful, I feel so sorry for you. You did all you could to stop Mr Fox getting in, but they are persistent so and so's and it sounds like your visitor was particularly so. I'm sure there will be lots of Omlet experts along shortly to advise, but please don't blame yourself. Sending you hugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Very sorry to hear it. Perhaps if you have the run floor completely slabbed it would make it extra secure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Very sorry to hear it. Perhaps if you have the run floor completely slabbed it would make it extra secure. Well this is why im so shocked the floor is slabbed, i then covered all the slabs with soil/dirt/branches etc yet it got in, AND under the wire. Ive been standing in the run just looking at how it got in and im still speechless. Must of been one hungry fox or had young ones to feed. Is it the season for the to be raising there young? Never even seen a fox until this morning when he came back for seconds only to find he had killed them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandkymberley Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Hi, so sorry to hear about your girls, i to think that you did the best you could, xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacake Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 so sorry to hear this, it really sounds like you had done your best to keep them safe, so don't blame yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Very sorry to hear it. Perhaps if you have the run floor completely slabbed it would make it extra secure. Well this is why im so shocked the floor is slabbed, i then covered all the slabs with soil/dirt/branches etc yet it got in, AND under the wire. Was it slabbed inside the run too,or just outside? And were they cemeneted down? Just asking as its good to know just how secure we all need to be - I am really sorry this has happened to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Very sorry to hear it. Perhaps if you have the run floor completely slabbed it would make it extra secure. Well this is why im so shocked the floor is slabbed, i then covered all the slabs with soil/dirt/branches etc yet it got in, AND under the wire. Was it slabbed inside the run too,or just outside? And were they cemeneted down? Just asking as its good to know just how secure we all need to be - I am really sorry this has happened to you No problem. Yep, slabbed inside, around the outside also. Wired underfloor - yet its managed to get in and out while also dragging a Isa Brown out with it. It must of given up on the other two cause they was left dead inside. This was one determined fox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Oh my goodness, you poor thing, how totally devastating It sounds like you have done as much as humanly possible to keep your girls safe, slabbed and wired?! That really is belt and braces so you have nothing to berate yourself for hun, it sounds like you have done more than most to protect your girls. You were just visited by one very very determined and wily fox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightonbelle Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I know exactly how you feel...and dont blame yourself. It sounds as though you couldnt have done much more. The fox that got mine actually chewed through a wooden panel that when we tested we couldnt pull apart! As you say they are very determined and it seems very resourceful. My thoughts are with you and your daughter x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Oh my goodness, you poor thing, how totally devastating It sounds like you have done as much as humanly possible to keep your girls safe, slabbed and wired?! That really is belt and braces so you have nothing to berate yourself for hun, it sounds like you have done more than most to protect your girls. You were just visited by one very very determined and wily fox Yeah i am completely mythed about this. Im going to go back up garden in a minute and stand in the pen and try and work out just how it happened. I wouldn't wish this on anyone - it's not a nice sight at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Tea Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 So sorry for you, such an awful thing to happen. My hens free-range in my garden during the day but I'm hoping that the smell of my dogs would put a fox off from coming in.......guess you can never tell though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 How awful . You obviously had everything in place to keep your girls safe - that must've been one determined fox . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Every sympathy to you and your daughter . Sending lots of ((hugs)) to you both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Sorry to read this, I know how you feel as I discovered carnage when I was a teenager and it stays with you for a very long time. I'd like to throw a few other things into the pot though as it sounds like some kind of super fox to be able to break through all those defences. How big is the tunnel into the run? Are there any bits of fur left behind - on wire or wood or slabs? Any other clues? What size wire mesh did the culprit get through? What kind of area do you live in? Are there badgers nearby? Does anyone keep ferrets locally? What about other wildlife (stoats, rats etc)? Again sorry to ask so many questions, but it will help others keep their poultry safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Wow,that must be one hell of a determined fox to get through that I dont suppose you have any pictures of your WIR do you? I just want to make sure mine is fox proof. So sorry for your loss, it sounds as if you did everything you could possibly do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Sorry to read this, I know how you feel as I discovered carnage when I was a teenager and it stays with you for a very long time. I'd like to throw a few other things into the pot though as it sounds like some kind of super fox to be able to break through all those defences. How big is the tunnel into the run? Are there any bits of fur left behind - on wire or wood or slabs? Any other clues? What size wire mesh did the culprit get through? What kind of area do you live in? Are there badgers nearby? Does anyone keep ferrets locally? What about other wildlife (stoats, rats etc)? Again sorry to ask so many questions, but it will help others keep their poultry safe. I don't know, ive just been looking. It was a fox, no doubt about that i saw him this morning come back for more. It looks like he has tried to dig his way in and then got trapped. It looks like he has panic and just thrashed about to try and get out - however he has thrashed about that much and managed to dislodge some wire come up through a slab and 'into' rather than back out of the pen. Then he has had his fun. That is all i can make from it - rather depressing being up there looking at blood patches and feathers at the moment so need to clean it all up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 so so sorry, I know that awful silence. sometimes there is just nothing you can do, you get the ultrafox who defeats everything - and it really sounds like you had everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 so so sorry, I know that awful silence. sometimes there is just nothing you can do, you get the ultrafox who defeats everything - and it really sounds like you had everything. I'm not sure what has happened regarding foxes - not seen on since i have lived here and that has been 18 months now. Last saturday i saw a scraggy fox in the garden and was like "Oh no" they are around. But was also glad i had my new run for protection which turned out not so protective. The one i saw this morning was big, bright, bold. Full of colour and like a fox you would see from a National Geographic channel. Not scraggy at all - well fed etc. It's odd, like they have all of a sudden arrived, yet im sure they have been around for a while just not seen them. I guess you live and learn huh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 So very sorry for you and your family - and so worrying for the rest of us. Did he lift a slab then to get in after he got through the wire? Just trying to work it out so we can all take precautions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathybc Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 very sorry to hear of your loss x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 I don't believe it - Mr Fox has just been back again for a third look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchanted Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I too feel so sorry for you and your family's shocking loss. I'm just wondering if there may have been another way in ie a loose door or panel perhaps? I would feel easier as like most everyone I feel very uneasy about my own house/run security Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 the thing is, once they know there are chooks/bunnies/small furries etc around, its always worth their while coming back just on the off-chance... I hate foxes, bring back hunting I say. (sorry fox lovers, but they've eaten enough takeaways around here....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louisdog Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Sorry to hear about your chickens I have a WIR and have had to put electric wore around mine to stop fox digging in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
