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TooLilac

A warning to all - fox attack

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Unfortunately I have to share the same old sad story I've reading for the last two years - I lost two of my favourite chickens this morning to what I think was a fox. I obviously got too complacent after two years of no sign of foxes or predators. My OH let the girls out to FR in the garden first thing - as we do every day. I heard a bit of a commotion when i was washing up and went out to investigate, and was met with a horrid sight. An empty garden, no chooks but plenty of feathers blowing around. Two girls were in the WIR (which was open) up on the high roosting bars. the other three lovelies were missing. From the feathers I could see a legbar had been got, and I think I found a clump of Black Rock tail feathers (my daughter's fave). I immediately shut in the WIR to keep the other two safe, and scoured through feather covered brambles for any sign of life. I cleared up as best I could so my children wouldn't see what I had found, then went in to break the news to them. We are all very upset. It's my fault, I shouldn't have left them out unsupervised.

I went back out to check over the remaining two for injuries (they are fine just frightened). And by some miracle, one of our little legbars was wedged between the hedge and the fence. She's fine and under lock-up with the others. I have never been so glad to see a chicken ! I keep hoping the Black Rock will turn up, but from what I saw, there was no hope for my cheeky little legbar.

We live in the middle of a city with a large garden that backs onto a field and allotments - I've been far too naive and complacent, and would much rather have p*ssed off chooks that are fed up with the WIR, than lose another one. This happened about 10.30 this morning, so don't mislead yourself that foxes are only a threat at night - they are a threat all the time, any time of year.

Even if you have never seen a sign of fox or any other predators, please lock your chickens up.

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So sorry to read this post :( Because of posts like this I only let my pekins free range when I'm out with them :D We beat ourselves up about them being shut in their runs, but atleast they are safe!!!I have never seen a fox in the day here (have seen one on a nearby road at night though :( ) and like you live on the edge of town near fields...but we do hear them at night!!!

 

Hope you're remaining girls are ok!?! Will you replace your lost girls? It's not really replacing as they have their own individual characters, but you know what I mean? :oops:

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thanks both. I suppose I've learned the hard way. They will be locked up from now on, unless one of us is in the garden. Yes Mimi, they do all have their own characters. I've just had a birthday and was so lucky with a massive haul of chicken-related pressies and a new garden bench for sitting out with the girls. Very sadly, my two ladies that like to sit on my knee when I'm in the garden, are the two that have been taken :cry:

They were our first girls, and had such lovely natures.

My first thought is to replace, as I love legbars - they are so nosey and cheeky. But I worry that the WIR will be too cramped if they aren't FR as much. And I hate the stress of introductions and feather-pecking etc.

I guess we'll coast until Spring gets here, and then see what we feel like doing. My OH wants to hunt down all foxes and concrete our entire garden to create a massive fox-proof WIR, probably with cameras, lasers and anti-fox machine gun turrets. He's even come home from work at lunchtime to cuddle the survivors...

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Ah your OH sounds like a real sweetie!!Maybe take him up on some of those ideas???

 

I know what you mean about intros and I've some more on the horizon!!! I lost my beloved cockerel Monty suddenly, only a few weeks ago and miss him very much :( Shh he was my fav! I still listen for his doddle in the morning before I'm properly awake. But am thinking of getting another to help me keep the girls in check!! :roll: Going to see a prospective suitor this coming sat....shh don't tell the girls! :lol:

 

Well, there's no rush at least you have your girls for now and you can have a think.

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Oh, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Only this morning, as it was a rare lovely day here with no rain, I let my girls out for a few hours FR. I'm really paranoid about foxes recently as I have seen one fairly close to where I live and the other night could hear one barking. But, it was so nice and as you say, you feel so bad with them being shut in the run all the time. I even thought to myself "I don't suppose the foxes respect our public holiday days such as new year's day and it would be really unlucky if the girls got taken today", but I was obviously lucky this time and we got away with it.

 

Still, I don't think we can really blame ourselves when these things happen; we are all trying to do our best for our girlies. I am so sorry to hear that you have been so unlucky today. RIP girls. Hugs to you x

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But am thinking of getting another to help me keep the girls in check!! :roll: Going to see a prospective suitor this coming sat....shh don't tell the girls! :lol:

 

That's good news mimi... Hope all goes well, and he's 'the one'.... :)

 

TooLilac... So sorry to hear your awful news. We live in the country, and a lot of folks have lost chooks to foxes, but only at night as far as I am aware. Perhaps out here, they're a little more wary during the day. I have to admit, I've never seen, nor even heard one in nearly two years of living here, though I saw their footprints at the bottom of the garden in last February's snow. So they're most certainly around, and I agree, there's no room for complacency.

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Thanks Sue and AuntLizzie. Have sounded out a local breeder about getting two more in the Spring, and OH and I are talking about extending the WIR by then.

Mimi - am sorry to hear about Monty. Was he taken by a fox too ?

I've been checking on the remaining girls almost every half hour today, and went to lock them in the coop. They were already in there huddled up together. Hopefully we will all feel better after a nights' sleep.

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I'm so sorry to hear what's happened and I hope you and your children are ok :(

 

I'm probably in the minority here as I don't let any of my lot FR but we've been there and done that and having to deal with chicken poo everywhere and constant escapees (this was years ago when we had hybrids) took some of the enjoyment out of chicken keeping for us :?

 

As long as chickens have space, food, water, shelter, somewhere to lay, somewhere to dust bathe, somewhere to perch and plenty to occupy them, they are perfectly happy in the area they inhabit. All my gang are healthy and happy :) I go into their WIRs to spend time with them, as well as being around them when I'm in the garden :)

 

I just wouldn't beat yourself up about keeping them safe in a run if it makes you feel happier with the situation *hug*

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Sorry to hear about your awful loss.

 

We live in the country and know that there are foxes around, I often feel mean as I don't let mine FR very much and only if we are in the garden but I do worry that one time that we turn our back the foxes will take the opportunity.

 

When we built our WIR we decided to add to it and put doors inside that seperated it into two sections for introductions, that way they can see each other and I give treats along the diviison so that they almost share.

 

Of course you need to consider quarantining the new ones initially depending on where you get them from and how confident you are about the supplier.

 

Hope your remaining girls are ok.

 

Chrissie

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Too lilac, no Monty wasn't taken by a fox, he we guess (vet & myself) sucame to Marek's disease. He had just been through his first full moult, some intros of hatchlings and then I had to site the cube and fill the run with wood chip (that totally freaked him out :( ) because of all the mud!!!! So he must have been a carrier and the stress laid him low :( But he was a re-home to me and had a happy year (free ranging the day before) and I have 3 of his daughters :D

 

It was a shock though and I had to have him PTS :(:cry:

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So sorry to hear about your loss. Coming home last night at about 9pm we witnessed a fox in a near by road not 30m from my house. Never seen one here in the 7 years I have lived here. Freaked me out so spent the day adding more weld mesh to the WIR and going to have to limit FR time to when in with them. I hope you and your family are ok.

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So sorry to hear about your chickens :( Hope you and your family are OK.

 

My hens stay in their runs most of the time because of the foxes which are around my area. I wish so much I could let them out all of the time, but the foxes let me know they about by leaving me 'presents' around the chooks' coops :vom:

 

My neighbour thought mid-morning would be OK for his hens to FR and he also sadly had a visit from a fox and lost all of his flock :( This happened just before I got my girls, so because of this I decided I would rather my girls were safe, and I think as long as they have enough room/entertainment in their run they will be happy. Well, my hens never complain and look well. I am sure your girls will be happy in their WIR when you can't supervise.

 

Hope you enjoy your new girls in the spring. Huge hugs!

 

x

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TooLilac, I'm really sorry about your loss :( . It must have been a real shock to you all.

 

I let mine FR today too for the first time as the sun was actually out 8) but was paranoid the whole time. I have a friend in our village who lets her hens FR every day all day in her front garden, even when they are all out at work and school. She says she has never had a problem with foxes in six years but I think she has just been lucky so far. I definitely won't be doing that although it is hard to see them shut away.

 

I have been leaving the door of my eglu open lately so the girls can get up when they choose as I have slept later but I went out and shut it tonight as an extra precaution.

 

Sending you hugs.

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TooLilac, I'm really sorry to read about the fox attack on your poor girls.

My girls are permanently in their run and I am very glad of this as a few weeks ago there was a fox on their wooden extension, trying to chew through the wire on the roof, first thing in the morning. And he has been back a few times since.

We bought extra wire for the roof so now he has double the amount to chew through but I haven't seen or heard him for the last couple of days.

I hope your remaining girls get back to normal soon xx

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So sorry to hear about the loss of your girls, TooLilac. :(

 

I also learned the hard way when I lost one of my girls to a fox attack, way back in 2007. I had only had them 6 months and was complacent about letting them free range whilst I was in the kitchen. One girl was killed and the other injured (fortunately recovered).

 

I then got more girls to keep my lone chook company, but built them a big walk in run and now they only ever come out to free range when I am in the garden to supervise.

 

It's sadly the only way to guarantee their safety.

 

My friend lost 2 of her girls to a fox whilst free ranging just before Christmas. :(

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