Mum Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 ... went out this morning full of trepidation. Entered the WIR, opened up the Eglus, counted the girls as they came out. Phew! Must have been dreaming chickens (again!). Turned to walk back up the garden path and outside the old mini coop, next to the laundry room wall I found the devastation ... a mass of feathers (no bones/blood/body parts, just a whole heap of feathers). Ran back to the WIR to check my light Sussex, Agnes and she was fine. That heap of scattered white and black tipped feathers are evidence a herring gull took the attack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Poor gull but lucky escape for your girls . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 OMG!! & phew. Glad your ladies are ok. You'll have to keep a close eye on them as something is around your patch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Yes, very lucky for my girls; not so the gull but then I didn't buy the gull or get eggs from it so I'm sort of torn between sadness for it and relief? Yes, I've always known there are urban foxes about. The old wooden coop housed my birds last Spring because the was being used to hatch under my broody. A fox found a weakness under the egg box attachment and took them all; only the chook and chicks were saved. My neighbour told me that the previous occupants used to feed the foxes. The back third of the garden was left to go wild and when we cleared it found evidence of a den. So, a WIR and another later, I'm reasonably confident they should be ok. Even if at the worst foxy should bite through the wire of the WIR, I do know the girls are safe in their 'Lu's. Assuming Foxy only visits at night (which has been the case so far). Thing is, the house came with a nature pond, so all sorts will visit for a drink anyway (and have done for many years). There is also a neighbours cat who likes to frequent my garden at night. I'm a bit of an unregular sleeper and one occasion at very early doors, found it desperately trying to get something behind one of my trough planters. A mouse was successfully hunted and she sprinted off with it as soon as she caught it. Herring gulls are weighty birds so I'm thinking this is fox, not cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Or a sparrowhawk or similar? We find piles of pigeon feathers frequently and we know we have a sparrowhawk nearby, plus red kites and buzzards frequently circle overhead. We've seen the sparrowhawk in action, but the latter two haven't atttacked as far as we know. I still keep my tiny banties locked up though and only the big girls free range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Sparrowhawk? Now there's an idea, didn't think of that! Possibly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scentedsoaps Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 We have a Sparrowhawk that sits in next doors tree sometimes/or circles the garden at a height and on the odd ocassion we've seen it swoop down. The Chickens just scatter and run for cover, luckily it hasn't got its talons in one of them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
