bigmommasally Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 OH was out in the garden earlier today moving a massive pile of wood chippings from some trees we had felled earlier in the summer. By the pile he found a decaying headless chicken! He did a hasty count of our girls to reassure himself that we hadn't lost one and not missed it - it definitely wasn't one of ours -phew! But it must have been bought into our garden by a predator - we've seen absolutely no evidence of foxes since moving here in the summer and our neighbours have previously said that foxes are never seen around here. Just wondering what your thoughts were as to what would have killed a chicken and left it in our garden? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I would have guessed fox or mink Bigmommasally. But strange that it was left hidden but not returned for by whatever? Perhaps there was no predator and it is just a stray chicken that died? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I'd say a fox more than likely had a 'good hunt' and had time to store a few and forgot were one was or there was plenty of food about so never went back for it. nearly if not all towns ,cities and villages in the UK now has a fox population Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 A fox, that is their classic modus operandi and as said, they will store food for later. I don't believe there is anywhere in mainland UK without a fox population. The fact that your neighbours have never seen one just means your local foxes are displaying more 'traditional' behaviour, e.g. only foraging after dusk and avoiding human contact. I rarely see my local fox in daylight but I know he's there because I can smell him in the garden. Unfortunately there are many examples on this forum of people who had never seen a fox until their hens were taken by one. Don't take any risks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I agree with Olly. That is typical fox behaviour, know as cacheing. I imagine that they occasionally forget where they have left things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmommasally Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Thanks All - don't worry we're not taking any chances. The girls are always locked in their WIR in the day and shut up in their cube at night, at least until we get the garden fencing replaced and some security gates put up on the entrance. We're then going to look at getting an electric fence to enclose an area for them to free range a bit in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Exactly the same thing happened to me I had never had any Fox problems in 9 years so thought oh he's not bothering with us last winter the garden flooded and I found a dead duck that had been buried and had resurfaced in the floods the minute I looked at it thought OMG I forgot to lock one of the khaki girls in but I knew I hadn't .A few months later Mr foxy did decide to pay me a few daytime visits so now I have an electric fence leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 We've never seen our fox either but we know we have one. The dogs keep it at bay during the day but there is a well established track coming up from the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
