Jump to content
Chickens Dogs Cats Rabbits Guinea Pigs Hamsters and Gerbils Birds
kitchens

fox pulled chook through the hole in the nest box

By kitchens, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

Recommended Posts

kitchens Frequent Layer

kitchens

Posted
Posted (edited)

Went out to my chooks this morning only to find that two of my girls had their legs missing. It was awful. We dispatched them immediately, cleaned out the nest box and replaced the straw. I have lined it with cardboard for extra security. Has anyone else had this happen?

Edited by Guest
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Olly SUPER CHICKEN!!!

Olly

Posted
Posted

I'm so sorry to hear it - what an awful experience.

 

I'm assuming that you have a Cube - how did the fox get access to the space underneath it? I haven't heard of this happening before but the space under the Cube is normally enclosed by a mesh skirt. If you've got yours standing outside a run, it might be worth investing in these bits of mesh to keep that space safe. It must have been really traumatic for all concerned, I do hope the girls (and you) soon recover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kitchens Frequent Layer

kitchens

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Yes we have a cube which is outside a walk in run. The chooks have their WIR then we have installed a trapdoor which we lift up to give them access to another fenced off area of the garden. The trap door was shut, it is designed to be raised up to open and so could not be operated by any animal. I have heard of this before and trawled the forum earlier but couldn't find the posts as it was probably a couple of years ago that I read them. The run has been set up like this for about 3 years or so .... But I think it was unfortunate the broodies were sleeping in the nest box combined with a visit from mr fox! Pretty certain it was a fox as the omlet fencing we have around the back part of the cube was disturbed and there were feathers stuck to the drainage hole in the nest box. I think about that little hole every time I replace their straw and occasionally line the nestbox with newspaper. I have now lined it with cardboard. I'm not taking any chances.

 

:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AndreaT Frequent Layer

AndreaT

Posted
Posted

How horrible!

 

The same thing happened to me not long after I got my cube and chooks. http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=84158 Luckily I was woken up by the noise and managed to rescue my girl. She was injured quite badly but has made a full recovery.

 

When I spoke to Omlet about it they were shocked and hadn't heard of it before. I purchased the bit of run which goes round the cube, it's not on the website you have to give them a call.

 

Hope your remaining girls are ok.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mimi5 Chatty Chicken

mimi5

Posted
Posted

What an awful shock!!!!!! My little pekin gang are in a cube, but I have a 3 metre run attached.

 

Just wondered as a stop gap, I have a suggestion for you. I have very broody pekind and resently picked up avery good tip for a simple way to block of the nest box (which I am doing once they have laid and leaving it all night....so they can't get any ideas or comfy!!!) It's just the smallest size trug! It fits perfectly pushed in snug!!! That will atleast keep your girls in the coop and safe!! Mine cost £3.45p!! Thanks dogmother for that tip!!! :D

 

Hope that you'll be able to find a good solution, because as said by others Mr fox WILL be BACK. My best friend lost all her hens bar one from the fox biding his time and coming back. She re-homed her maran as she was SO upset and has vowed not to keep chickens again. Sad but she did want them to be able to free range atleast sometimes. :(

 

How are all the other hens?? Shock can be a killer.

 

Best wishes

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Luvachicken Chuckling Chook

Luvachicken

Posted
Posted

I am so sorry about what has happened to your chickens.

What a horrible creature to do that to them.

Could you bolt a piece of wood over the gap in the cube ? I have a bit of milk bottle which keeps the aubiose in but obviously thats not strong enough, but a bit of wood might be.

Sending hugs xxx

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chucky Mama Passionate Poultry Keeper

Chucky Mama

Posted
Posted

What a horrible thing to have happened, what a shock :( Well done for being up to humanely ending their suffering - not a nice thing to have to do :( . I agree that something stronger that cardboard is necessary to keep the rest of your girls safe. Perhaps this is something that should me mentioned as a routine to those that use Cubes without a run.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sandyhas3chucks Feathery Fanatic

sandyhas3chucks

Posted
Posted

I can see no useful purpose for me in the nest boxes and it drives me nuts the way stuff falls through. so all 4 of mine are bunged up permanently. 2 have old pennies glued in and 2 have a circle of plastic (from a plastic clip file, but maybe milk bottle would do..) this is popped in the hole and glued with a solid setting glue.

So sorry and sad about your girls.

Maybe also check the security clip on the poo tray too, as I understand this can get pulled out giving hunry fox another large gap to try and get in...

Just thought though is the cube hole so big that legs dangle through as no way would a nose get in the hole in the classic??????????

does sound like smaller predator to me????

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kitchens Frequent Layer

kitchens

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thank you for all of your kind words.

 

I must admit it was horrible to find them like that and puzzling too. We think it was a fox because of the way the fencing at the back was disturbed but I agree with an earlier post that it is beyond me as to how it all happened and I keep going over it in my head.

 

I have lined the nest box with corrugated cardboard which lines the whole thing, so until we come up with a better solution... It would be better if the drainage hole was infact several round holes that would be too small for anything but water to drain through, as I said earlier I have defo read on here that it has happened before to others.

 

I live in an urban area, on a main road intact. I no nothing of other predators, mink etc. We have a dog so not much comes into our garden. I've seen foxes pass via the front of the house but never out back. I do leave the door open in the summer so they can get up before we do. A very sad mystery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sadietoo Chatty Chicken

sadietoo

Posted
Posted

So sorry to hear this and well done you for putting an end to their suffering so swiftly, that takes a lot of courage .

 

Am I imagining it or did someone fix their strip over the drainage hole by using some plastic and bolts so that it can't be moved out of place? ....I have a bit of plastic over mine, but it's enclosed in the run so I haven't done more than that...... if not presumably just weldmesh cut to fit the nest box and then covered with aubiouse or whatever would be a safer option than cardboard?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...