Omlet cube and run

[stacey30]

Woken up to the sight of my girls killed by a fox, 8 in total. Never had this happen before so in a bit of a state. Hence my post may not be so easy to understand.

I have one hen left, she was in a separate house alone as she's broody and planned today to buy some fertile eggs for her to hatch. I don't know whether to continue with this plan or could the distress of not having any mates around be too much for her? And just get her a friend for company?

For now I guess it's improving safety and I'll put a roof on the pen for future girls but I'll leave it for a while.

Dread the lonely time in the garden, left over food for them, people will knock for eggs today and I'm in a state. Suppose I don't need advise but maybe some support from chicken lovers too x

[Mrs_B]

Oh no - that's really really awful! I'm so sorry that you've lost your girls

 

I always read that it's good to get one or two friends for a lonely hen, but I am sure someone with more experience with a lonely 'broody' hen will be along to help you soon.

 

Huge hugs!

 

x

[Luvachicken]

Am so sorry to read about your girls.

I don't know what the best plan would be for your remaining broody girl, but someone on here will know.

I send you one of the biggest hugs xxx

[mollyripkim]

Oh I am so sorry, what a terrible thing to happen and have to deal with. I really feel for you. Sending lots of hugs xx

[Ain't Nobody Here]

How awful, I'm so sorry .

[Egluntyne]

So sorry to hear it. A dreadful shock for you. x

[stacey30]

Thank you for your kind messages, haven't lost any pets since I was a child and forgot how distressing it is.

Worse because of the nature of it, just killed them and left them there. So many feathers, and horrible as I know which girls feathers was whose.

[Valkyrie]

Oh no, so sorry for you. Hugs from me too.

[Redwing]

I'm sorry about your girls

 

If the remaining hen is still broody and you plan to hatch eggs then she will be fine alone as she would have brooded alone and raised the chicks away from the others anyway. If you dont want to press on with that plan then she would still be ok for a few weeks on her own

 

I'd personally get the run sorted and not worry too much about the lone hen, she will be fine while you up your security

[Olly]

So sorry to hear it, a horrible experience.

[merlina]

oh dear - that's really horrible

So sorry

 

Don't make any decisions on what to do for a few days until you've got over the shock. Your hen on her own will probably be ok if you want to go ahead with your plan - broody hens tend to be very single minded

Longer term you might want to get her a couple of friends when you've recovered a little and are up to working on anti-fox security

[blueandwhite]

So sorry to hear that. I agree with merlina, just take a few days to think about things and sort out the run. x

[dance in the dark]

I would raise some chicks with the broody anyway, as has been said she would brood separately so she doesn't need mates. Broodies are perfectly happy with their own company until the eggs hatch, in fact they tend to insist on it, and when the chicks come she will be happy with them for at least six weeks. You could always get a few girls to replace the ones you have lost. Depending on your set-up with your broody -in sight of the main run or not - you would need to reintroduce the broody hen when the time came anyway....

 

Good luck and sorry about the fox attack.

 

Tim

[coco]

So sorry, what a horrible shock for you.

As others have said why not wait a few days until you are feeling better then decide what you want to do.

[suebee]

What a horrible shock. So sorry to hear this. Put a sign outside saying "no eggs today", to stop anyone troubling you.

 

Best wishes x

[Charlottechicken]

So sorry to read this, what an awful thing to wake up to

[newcountrygirl]

So sorry to hear this. Poor little chooks. Hope you are feeling a bit better - it is no doubt a horrible thing to see.

[sparkysmum]

So very sorry to hear this, hugs. Alli x

[jeshen]

So sorry to read about your poor girls. What a horrible shock for you. xx

[stacey30]

Thank you for your messages. Everything feels different without them, completely lost my routine. Was awake in the night terrified the fox would go for my broody. Sure I saw it, I was told they return to collect what they killed but they were taken away from the house couldn't bear to see them. Have someone coming to plan my pen, would like a roof to keep them dry in the rain, higher fence (he climbed the fence) maybe a sharp runner on the top? Stronger doors too as he got them through a small gap on the house door.

My broody is next to the kitchen window now, the pen is just too much for me at the moment. She's sitting on a few eggs, my daughter's 8 and found it comforting to think of new life, starting a new flock (she's been so brave)

Hopefully be warmer then and my improvements will be complete, maybe less heartache by then. I'll try and think of a way to remember the girls, as they're not buried here. Any suggestions would be great. Thank you for all your support, it's really helping

[LottyJ1]

So sorry

[suebee]

I'll try and think of a way to remember the girls, as they're not buried here. Any suggestions would be great.

 

If you have a little spare corner in the garden, you could plant eight small (chicken proof) shrubs in a little group as a remembrance garden for them, or paint each of their names on a cobble stone and place them in what were their favourite spots in the garden.

 

Or, you could make a name plaque for your new run, which is representative of them as a group somehow.

 

I can only imagine how you must be feeling. So glad your broody is doing well. Your daughter sounds like a very mature young lady too.

[good_egg]

What a sad thing to happen, so sorry for you. Sounds like the broody will be fine and it is nice to think that your new hens will have been "home grown". I think the idea of shrubs or cobbles is lovely way to remember your girls - we have small tags attached to our garden bench. Good luck with planning the new run. Hugs

[L Marques]

So sorry for you and your girls.You might be better off getting an Eglu as they are fox proof.

Hope your broody does ok,i have one too for the very first time i am new at it its very exciting.

All the best

[stacey30]

Hello, little update from me. My broody Harry hatched 3 chicks last week, 2 Sablepoots and 1 croad langshan. It's been lovely to see her have a little family and they are enjoying the sunshine in the run. Nearly 4 weeks since we lost the girls, but having improved the fencing and made some changes we added 5 hens at the weekend. Still feels very odd seeing different chickens in the pen, but it's nice to have some life back in the garden. Thank you for all your messages in the first week, it made me feel not so alone as some friends that don't have chickens didn't quite understand, one in particular asked was I going to eat them

 

Stacey x