Lockdown! -second fox attack

chrismahon

chrismahon

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9.00pm yesterday a fox got into the main section of the Orchard and killed one of our Blue Orpington hens. Harriett was just over 5 years old and one of the four Orpingtons we started with. Laid as well as ever about 100 very large eggs a year. Very quiet, very docile and very pretty. Always the first to roost with her sister so I am puzzled as to how she was caught outside at that time. At 10 lbs she put up a fight -feathers everywhere. Henrietta, her sister, is very quiet today -she has never known life without Harriett. Bottom is very subdued as well and has been all day, even though he wasn't in the Orchard at the time. Like there is some connection, as he has never really known a time in his life without her?

So the flocks are 'locked down' -no-one is allowed to free range over any part of the Orchard. They all have to stay in their small secure runs until we have dealt with the problem, if we can?

This was an intrusion into a completely different section of the Orchard to last time. There are three possible entry points. A small gap above a 1 metre fence that is against a hedge facing the field -unlikely but it has been blocked off anyway. The second means the fox is moving through neighbouring gardens and there are several points where the 1 metre fence behind a conifer hedge could be scaled. Each point has had the earth border beneath it finely raked over. If it is coming through there I can deal with it. If it comes in somewhere else Frankie will tell us and the only other place is the highest wall. That means jumping blind or onto the wall. We haven't had a fox come over there for 4 years since we let the nettles grow up on the outside. It may leave that way in a panic but I don't believe it comes in that way.

So it's a waiting game. I'm far too busy building coops and preparing for France in 10 weeks to put up more fencing or electrification. The birds may be fed up but at least they are alive. We will let them out when we are down there to relieve their stress of confinement. Last time they were in for 7 day worming one became really ill.

As far as I am aware foxes in rural mid-France are almost non-existant. Many people free-range small flocks of hens and foxes are hunted rigorously. I do know that they are a big problem in Brittany though. We won't be taking any chances. A 6' electrified fence is going up around half an acre as soon as we get there. Probably even before the satellite TV is set up!
 
Oh Chris I'm so sorry to hear this,how sad.Did he took her with him?I'm too worry about mine had a very close call few days ago but luckly I was in the garden and chased him away.He went after one of the yungsters(she flies very well so managed to get away)until I was on his back.Bought a trap and is set allready just waiting now for him to get inn.
 
Oh dear, Chris, so sorry to hear this. and poor Henrietta and Bottom, no wonder they're subdued. Apart from their relationships, it must be such a traumatic and terrifying experience for them - like having a sabre toothed tiger come into your home. And after all the work you did to foxproof the place as well. I hope the rest stay safe, if they're fed up that's better than the alternative.
 
Horrible experience for all, very sad news. The last thing you need before the stress of moving too. We always presume the 'dumb' animal s feel nothing, but I do think they feel more acutely than us as they don't have the lies & deceit to add into the equation.
 
Thanks for your supportive comments.

She didn't get taken Tygresek- well not most of her anyway, just her head and neck. She was probably too big to carry. Same as Gandalph at Christmas.

An astute observation BabyBantam. Chickens are far more complex than I realised. 2,000,000 years of evolution I guess. It never ceases to surprise me how little, if any, effort poultry keepers in general put into actually understanding their chickens. So I make a distinction between 'knowing about' and 'understanding', the latter being a psycological connection. Someone on another forum is writing a book about this. She is a qualified dog trainer and apparently on her training course they started with training chickens before dogs.

So back to our problem. The footprints determined the point of exit from the Orchard into the neigbours garden. I think the fox comes through several gardens and in from that same side further down the hedge, as opposed to coming over the wall. The exact point of entry isn't required. If I block one entry another will be used. It knows where the food is now. Nights are so short for hunting it is obviously coming out before dusk and will soon be out in daytime as confidence grows. I think it is the same one that killed Gandalf and his hen which was 10.00 in the morning, so it could appear at any time. Shop is shut today but the problem will be dealt with next week. The chickens are gettting very stressed being locked up as some runs are not big enough at 1 square metre each hen. I certainly can't keep them confined for long Marigold as they will be ill.
 
So sorry to hear this Chris. You've worked so hard to prevent this happening as well! I'm not surprised they are really upset, what a horrible experience for them. I hope they stay safe.
 
That's really bad luck Chris and very sad too. Hope you and the hens recover from the stress soon. If it is the same one, have you thought about trapping it? I seem to remember you have the means to dispatch it or is not powerful enough to kill a fox?
 
Unfortunately the shotguns are in storage and an air rifle is not powerful enough so I may have to call someone over. Trapped animals have to be 'humanely' despatched. According to one of my customers, who was an RSPCA inspector years ago, that means just one shot or one blow. It is also illegal to trap a fox and release it in another area and there is no point releasing it here. But I've got to catch it first!
 
Mmmm, OH may have to think about a shotgun then if we get fox trouble. We've just bought a cat trap so we can neuter the tom, mum and kittens (cheaper to buy than collect from Cats Protection League) but fox traps are more expensive, especially if you're not likely to need one in France.
 
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