murder most fowl

[BeardyMan]

Well that was a shit start to the day, woke up at 0645 (yes, I had a lay-in!) to some unusual clucking sounds coming from the garden. Looked out back to see, well, complete carnage. Of the 4 hens and 2 roosters we're down to one rooster and a hen. All the Silkies are gone, and one of the rescued battery hens too. Found one hen and the silkie rooster dead behind the compost bin. Well, I thought the Silkie rooster (Percy) was dead. Oh no, fucking zombie chicken started trying to walk off, dragging his head on the floor. Still seriously hung over from the wedding on Saturday I rushed inside to grab the axe. Had to put poor Percy out of his misery. The other two silkies are nowhere to be found, so Mr Fox evidently had away with them. I know these things happen, and it's what foxes do, but it's still bloody horrible. If Winston was still here I'm certain we'd still have them all.

Dunno what's happening at the moment, all our animals are dying or dead. Sid really liked the "white fluffy chickens", but I explained that a fox was hungry and ate them, so that's why you can't see them any more.

Don't think we'll bother to get any more. We'll let Harry and Eggs live out the rest of their days, then pack up the hen house I suppose.

[Steve]

Electric netting and the HMR rifle are your friends.

HMR is a tiny little bullet, but it knocks the stuffing out of foxes.

[Straight Shooter]

Your lucky to have some left BM foxy usually kills ALL , truth is when any one starts keeping hens they do not think about security that much...after all not seen a fox around here... same happened to me mate...carnage ...in them days i had a seven shot Savage pump 12 gauge and a load of Alphamax 4 trouble was I could not find the bastard culprit who killed seven hens and six ducks, i did post this storey back a bit ..but stood guard with a few guns that,s how pissed i was.Throwing a Bexbissel carpet sweeper did work however ..it scared foxy shitless .

[Tarrel]

Quote:Don't think we'll bother to get any more. We'll let Harry and Eggs live out the rest of their days, then pack up the hen house I suppose.

Why? Chickens are a great prep. An assured source of protein for minimal fuss and bother. You already have the skill and experience to keep them. Why not replace them?

I can understand the immediate reaction to the attack but my recommendation would be to learn from the situation, look at what you could do to protect them better, and move on. Electric netting works really well, but is fairly pricey. Depends on how much space you give them, but a chicken tractor is one possibility. A combined mobile run and coop that you move every couple of days. That way they're contained and protected, but still have fresh ground to peck at. Google "chicken tractors". You'll find loads of ideas.

[Tartar Horde]

Sorry to hear that BM, there is no kind way to stop this you simply have to kill that Fox mate. If you don't it will be back, it now thinks that territory belongs to it. Don't let it win by giving up, get even. In the absence of firearms there are other methods that will solve the problem. A tethered Goat is used to catch a Lion, the same goes for a Chicken if you get my drift. A bolt from the blue can be quite useful. Shoot-Shovel-Shut up is the best approach.

[bigpaul]

I heard an "old wives tale " back along that if you pee around the outside of the pen the smell puts the fox off...not sure if its true just something I heard of course strong fences and deep netting are the order of the day and locking up the chickens overnight in a secure poultry shed. I think TH is right you may have to shoot the fox eventually.

[Devonian]

Sorry to hear that BM, but it's part and parcel of keeping chickens,

When we had chickens we regularly had foxes in the area but fortunately we didn't lose any chickens to them, this was achieved by having 5 foot high mesh around their area which was also dug down into the ground by a further 12 inches, plus the dogs were regularly present. Also in areas around the netting where there was soft ground we would lay old paving slabs or breeze blocks over it, as we also did around the entrance gate to prevent Mr Fox digging his way in.

All that kept them safe from foxes, but not from the Sparrowhawks!

[Midnitemo]

Foxes....beautiful savage creatures...am always torn when I shoot one but I've been at the scene of the crimes too many times to let there beauty stay my trigger finger.

[BeardyMan]

(7 April 2015, 12:07)Tarrel Wrote:

Quote:Don't think we'll bother to get any more. We'll let Harry and Eggs live out the rest of their days, then pack up the hen house I suppose.

Why? Chickens are a great prep. An assured source of protein for minimal fuss and bother. You already have the skill and experience to keep them. Why not replace them?

I'd like to get more. Not sure the missus is too keen. Problem starts when these chickens are given names. My little boy named all of them, and he's lost his dog a few weeks ago too. Thankfully I've always told him the truth about these things and explained what actually happened. He doesn't like foxes now.

I think I may wait to we move house before adding to the flock, doesn't matter what I need to do to secure them then. Can't really do all the necessary in this rented accommodation.

Thankfully we don't depend on these chooks for anything, goes to show how quickly your food producing stock can be wiped out.

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(7 April 2015, 13:54)bigpaul Wrote: I heard an "old wives tale " back along that if you pee around the outside of the pen the smell puts the fox off...not sure if its true just something I heard of course strong fences and deep netting are the order of the day and locking up the chickens overnight in a secure poultry shed. I think TH is right you may have to shoot the fox eventually.

I think having Winston pee all over the garden certainly deterred Mr Fox previously. Also I never thought we'd get fox in the garden. Only way in is via other gardens, we're surrounded! School boy error, evidently.

[Steve]

Foxes, like cats, are very aware of fences and what can cross them. We've all seen cats tormenting dogs, and foxes do the same. I had one last year that would walk up the bottom field and get to within 50yds of the garden fence whilst the dogs went mad at it. Foxes are also very fast over a short distance, but they can't manage 2550 feet per second, so that fox doesn't bother me any more.