Not a good day

[ChrisEdu]

Woke with an absolute killer headache/migraine - a solid 9/10 for pain.
Then, wife went to do the chickens, and came back in to say the fox had killed all the hens. Only the ****, kept under a box at night, was left.
Out of eight hens, there was no sign of four, and of those left, three were decapitated.

It's the second time we've lost our flock to the local predators. Not sure if I'm going to bother getting more after this.

 

[MissyD]

Sorry to hear that Chris

 

[Trickythemerc]

Not good to hear news like that Chris, they were not just hens they were the family hens.

 

[markjay]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[ChrisEdu]

Not good to hear news like that Chris, they were not just hens they were the family hens.

Kylie is the one I'm most upset about.

 

[EndlessMoneyPit]

Oh no, what a rotten shame. Poor hens . I get a lot of migraines too, so I know how awful they are. The only thing that helps mine is a hot water bottle where the worst of the pain is. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Do you not lock them in the hen house at night?.....I used to go out just after dusk (when they had all gone to roost) and shut the door....Even though I lived in the sticks I never lost one to a fox in 20 odd years of having them......
Sorry for your bad luck though.......

 

[ChrisEdu]

Do you not lock them in the hen house at night?.....I used to go out just after dusk (when they had all gone to roost) and shut the door....Even though I lived in the sticks I never lost one to a fox in 20 odd years of having them......
Sorry for your bad luck though.......

They go in to roost at night. The hen house is within an enclosed area.
The male is kept under a box at night, to prevent an early morning alarm call.

 

[ChrisEdu]

After much soul searching, after realising their mental health benefits, I've decided to adopt another ten hens next month, as part of a rescue program for ex-battery hens.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Not so good for the mental (or physical!) health of the chickens though!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Sorry to hear your news, but pleased you’ll be giving more a good home.

 

[ChrisEdu]

Not so good for the mental (or physical!) health of the chickens though!

Well, considering they come to us bald and having never seen daylight, then flourish and enjoy a happy life, I would rather disagree with you.
A much better life than being slaughtered due to economic factors and reduced egg laying.
We do what we can to provide them a happy and safe home. We've not had any trouble with foxes for over two years, so it's unfortunate that we've had this incident, probably due to all the changes going on outside, plus it being the time of year foxes are feeding their young.

 

[Ted]

I’ve had it happen a couple of times at my old place but nothing here in the last six years even though a fox goes past the coop less than twenty feet away (pretty secure).
However my soppy dachshund Norman managed to get one that had come out to chomp on some grass, and before I could stop him he managed to take her head off.
Couldn’t prise his jaws apart (wasn’t going to put my fingers in there) and there was no real aggression - just a focussed look in his eyes. My guess is it is just in his DNA - at all other times he is a really soft friendly dog, but he does go mad for rabbits and squirrels etc on a walk so he’s never off the lead.
It is a shame when a fox gets in as they just destroy everything and kill more than they can take away.
Hope you enjoy your rescue hens and get some good eggs

 

[ChrisEdu]

I’ve had it happen a couple of times at my old place but nothing here in the last six years even though a fox goes past the coop less than twenty feet away (pretty secure).
However my soppy dachshund Norman managed to get one that had come out to chomp on some grass, and before I could stop him he managed to take her head off.
Couldn’t prise his jaws apart (wasn’t going to put my fingers in there) and there was no real aggression - just a focussed look in his eyes. My guess is it is just in his DNA - at all other times he is a really soft friendly dog, but he does go mad for rabbits and squirrels etc on a walk so he’s never off the lead.
It is a shame when a fox gets in as they just destroy everything and kill more than they can take away.
Hope you enjoy your rescue hens and get some good eggs

Thanks.

Security camera, that I set up last night, caught the fox in the act of getting in and out of the chicken area, so I now know how it did it and can take further measures to try to prevent it happening again.

 

[ChrisEdu]

Today, I have hopefully improved the electric fence. It now has overhangs, like security fencing, with electrified wires up there too.

 

[ALFAitalia]

My fencing was 10 feet tall....and dug a foot into the ground curled outward.

 

[Ted]

I’ve got netting over the top too to stop the bloody magpies/jackdaws/crows from nicking the food.

 

[Dippo]

I get the feeling it could be easier to just buy eggs!

 

[Petrol Pete]

My Niece keeps chickens on her property (20 hectares) . she is totally fed up with the whole fox/hassle thing.

 

[Chrishazle]

Chris, it sounds like you need a decent .22 air rifle with scope and a bit of late night wait time - is it here on on t'other side there's a thread about "Any Air Rifle Interest?" A gram or 2 of decent velocity lead will curb fox interest in your hens!!