Fox Attack

[pebojuno]

Yesterday all my pekins were attacked by a fox- luckily he didn't get them all but I've still lost all 3 of my cockerels, 1 broody hen - who probably gave him a good battering before she went as her 6 chicks are fine. 1 millefleur hen, 2 buff hens and some light sussex growers

They had a pop hole with an automatic opener, we checked that it was closed on Monday night but yesterday morning when the door opened early the fox got in.

OH s already buiding them a secure pen and I'm going to get his cousin with a gun over to rid us of this particular intruder but I'm gutted- every one of the birds was hatched here and had a name - shouldn't make a difference but it does.

I'm only glad that he didn't get the chicks of the mum who died, another broody with 3 chicks, a silver partridge hen and a mille pullet who were also in that shed and that my other 2 pekin girls were in broody pens.

Couldn't have posted yesterday without using bad language. I'm so cross with myself and Mr Fox. :twisted:

 

[Anne W]

So , so sorry That's dreadful - everyone's nightmare! I think it is worse when you have raised them and they have names ( all mine do) Popholes are a mixed blessing I think - perhaps get a timer so it opens much later . Do hope you catch the fox ....thinking of you xx

 

[pebojuno]

Thanks Anne, all my friends think I'm daft to get upset over a few chickens so it's nice to speak to like minded people on the forum. I'm going to get the timer and use the opener again next year if I do meat birds- they will free range but I won't be attached to them so if I lose any it won't be quite so bad.

I've got some chicks from my pekins so will be keeping a few girls from these and looking for pekin hatching eggs in a few weeks to replace my lost cockerels - what's the bet I get all pullets

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear about your chickens. I get attatched to absolutely everything I have so I can completely understand how you feel. A woman I work with was looking forward to her new chickens after the fox took the last lot, she had them less than a week in what we thought was a secure pen. £@*%! fox! :x

 

[Davidd]

Hi, sorry to hear about your fox attack I have always been lucky- around most of the day and manually lock up all stock while still light every night- i know most people can't be that lucky and lead busy lives, jobs, etc but i have never lost anything to a fox- yet :shock: I am sure the day will come
regards, David

 

[pebojuno]

Thanks Welshchick and David- We had been fine up until now but wont be using the automatic opener again until we also have a timer so it doesn't open at stupid o clock.
Odd too that the first fox attack happened a few weeks after the dog at the farm was put to sleep- might borrow my sister's lab and walk it around the pens every week or so!

 

[girlracer265]

so sorry

 

[Lucylou]

So sorry to hear your bad news - it must be devastating. I know how you feel as I lost my first little flock early one morning too.
Hope the survivors aren't too traumatised & settling down again.

 

[Anonymous]

I am really sorry to hear about your loss, I realise how soul destroting it must be.
I live on the edge of a small village and my fields border a moor.
I recently had my son in law down on holiday, he brought his shotgun with him and managed to bag one of the foxes.
However, what he did tell me was this:-

If you go to a hairdressers and ask for the sweepings up off the floor (the hair), if you them place the hair into hair nets and tie them at intervals to your boundary fence, then it will take a very desperate and very hungry fox to pass your boundary.

I am actually in the process of doing this myself so will let you know the outcome. I realise there are many old wives tales aroung and many of them are more of a hindrance than a help. However. the son in law is a farmer and has vast experience with fox hunting, so I have to yield to his knowledge.
Time will tell.

Once again sorry for your loss and perhaps the tip above may help.

Regards

Steve

 

[dawn]

So sorry to hear, I can only imagine how awful you must have felt, and fully understand how you get attached to chickens. It's a sobering lesson about automatic pop hole openers though, I'd decided to get one for my next coop and thought the timer rather expensive and probably unecessary. I'll think again now.

 

[pebojuno]

Thanks so much Girlracer and Lucy Lou - My other broody sadly died yesterday so she must have had an injury I couldn't see or have been in shock.

All the chicks are confused but fine- they have just made themselves into a gang so I've seperated them into a secure pen of their own. The two hens which are left I put into a big pen with my other two broodies (who luckily were in arks at the time of the fox attack.) They seem happier when they are all together so Ill leave them to it.

Rookie- Thanks for the hair idea- I've heard of it before and there's certainly no harm in trying it Dawn, The opener was really good- It saved a lot of driving back and forth (I live 4 miles or so away from my chickens) but the timer would probably have saved the pekins as it was opening so early.

 

[Tim]

I'm really sorry to hear this Nicky.

It's that time of year again... Adults are feeding young and cubs are being shown how to hunt and slowly are left to hunt for themselves. I don't shoot the foxes near me because they usually stay far enough away during the daytime and they will have learnt that the electric fence gives them a nip however youngsters have in the past come walking right across the field when I've been out there (no electric fence in the field / daytime) bold as brass.. no real fears.

I have 3 pop hole openers and they are very good but I did buy the timer to go with each - an extra £30 or so to stop the door opening until 7am when there are people around.

I too sadly had my first fox attack last week, killing 4 ducks - he would have had 15 chickens too if it hadn't been for the timer holding the door shut as the bodies were still warm at 6am when I found them so I suspect he visited no earlier than 4.30 - 5am at first light. The timers have paid for themsleves already...

Have you considered an electric fence? I hope you catch the fox. Mine is still at large. I will only shoot this one though because he will keep coming back and has found a way to get in.

Again though, I'm really sorry to hear the bad news. I don't have any Pekins otherwise I would have offered you some hatching eggs.

Tim

 

[girlracer265]

wow thats such a good idea tim
pm me your addess pebojuno and i will send you some pekin hatching eggs, i have a few sparebies atm

 

[victorias poultry]

I am sorry for your loss, I know what you are going through. It is the stillness in the mornings that takes some getting used to. If you want any pekin cockerels to replace the ones you lost let me know, free to a good home.
Kindest Regards Sue

 

[pebojuno]

Thanks so much Sue- If you were a little closer I'd take you up on your kind offer Girlracer is sending me some eggs on Mon so I'll slowly rebuild my flock from those. The surviving chickens are looking good now- they were stressed for ages after the attack but they are gelling into their smaller group well now.