Grieving loss of Chicken from predator

[Alichickens]

Hi all,

Around 2 days ago on Friday I came home to some really sad and terrible news that a Fox had came in my backyard and sadly killed one of my chickens. It was a sapphire gem chicken that unfortunately got mauled by the fox. What frustrates me by foxes so much are that they are extremally difficult predators to deal with and stop. This fox had been coming a few times every WEEK for the past 3 months from December onwards to March (currently). What I have noticed about foxes are how patient and sly these guys are. The fox would sneak in and and attempt to pounce after my chickens during those 12-15 times it attacked priorly but I would always hear the alarm calls of my hens and quickly run outside to stop and shoo it away. I had 7 chickens, 4 buff Orrington's and 3 sapphire gems and I wanted to ask you guys if you have ever dealt with grief from a death of a chicken from a predator. It really hurts and hits you on a personal level when you are emotionally attached to your animals and for them to happily pecking and content with themselves to being dead a few hours laters. Does it ever hurt you on a personal level when you have a chicken you raised from when it was tiny chick and developed into it's own adult unique personality. I feel like some people think chickens are stupid animals and for it to be weird to be so grief stricken over a chicken's death but this is just different. This chicken, that you fed treats, petted, hugged, and played with from the day it was a peeping chicken to when it was in it's awkward stage of a pullet, to when it developed a beautiful long comb and layed its first eggs... is lying dead with blood everywhere. I was just feeding the chickens and being with them these past few days and I could just feel the lack of presence of one of the chickens. I know I'm writing a lot of rambling thoughts but this has been on my mind for a few days now. When a beloved chicken member of yours dies, and you go out to feed and greet the chickens but you don't hear the distinctive calls or sounds of the one chicken anymore when it's dead. You can just feel its missing presence and things don't feel right, and you wish you could have stopped the fox or heck punch that bastard for killing your beloved hen but you can't change the past... Losing a chicken to illness is one thing because you are mentally prepared and seeing the chicken slowly go, but to lose it to a predator? The chicken was happily thriving a few hours ago and now its lying dead with feathers ripped everywhere and blood. Its just so heartbreaking. Sorry I know I sound like I am having a meltdown but its really difficult losing one chicken and it's the first time this has happened. I would love to know if you chicken keepers had a similar story of being hurt and upset of losing a chicken to a predator.

 

[chrissynemetz]

It's never easy to lose one of our birds. I'm so sorry you had to go through this

 

[theoldchick]

So sorry. I use electric fence to keep foxes away.

 

[Callender Girl]

I am so sorry for your loss. Don't apologize for having a meltdown; I've done the same thing myself. I've had most, if not all, of the same reactions that you are having.

When a mink got into my first coop and killed three of my four original hens, I was ready to rehome the last one and never have chickens again. I felt horrible for the violent way in which a mink killed the girls (one had her head pulled through the fencing) and overwhelming guilt for forgetting to close the coop door that night. What's more, the wretched murderer came back the next day (predators always come back for an easy meal) and took one of my runner ducks that strayed too far from the house.

It was the middle of a frozen Iowa winter, so I couldn't bury my birds. I had to toss them in the trash, which made things even worse. The remains of my beloved birds ended up in the garbage.

Heartbroken barely describes how I felt. I had been entrusted with the lives of these wonderful, lively birds, and I had failed them. I was sure I didn't deserve to have poultry. The hens were adults when I got them, which was bad enough.

But Hadley had been a two-day-old duckling that I had raised with his three siblings. They were my first ducks, and I have about a gazillion photos of my "gang of four" as they grew from tiny fuzzy ducklings to beautifully feathered adults. I have photos of them in the brooder, their first "field trip" outdoors, their initial ventures into the water.

I spent quite a few nights sleeping, barely, on the sofa downstairs so I would be able to hear if the mink came back. Although the temperatures were well below freezing, I left the windows open a bit so that I and my Great Pyrenees -- who had initially alerted me to the attack -- would be able to hear if the mink returned.

I doubled down on my security measures after the attacks. I added hardware cloth EVERYWHERE and still do a mental checklist each night to make sure all the coops are double-latched. Additional fencing keeps all the chickens, ducks and geese within view from the house. I can hear when alarm calls go through the flock, and I always run out to check on everybody.

I sincerely hope you can keep the fox away from the rest of your flock.

 

[McChooky]

Foxes are cunning and quick but you can prevent them killing chickens if you keep them in a secure run or install an electric fence.

 

[randysherry]

Hi all,

Around 2 days ago on Friday I came home to some really sad and terrible news that a Fox had came in my backyard and sadly killed one of my chickens. It was a sapphire gem chicken that unfortunately got mauled by the fox. What frustrates me by foxes so much are that they are extremally difficult predators to deal with and stop. This fox had been coming a few times every WEEK for the past 3 months from December onwards to March (currently). What I have noticed about foxes are how patient and sly these guys are. The fox would sneak in and and attempt to pounce after my chickens during those 12-15 times it attacked priorly but I would always hear the alarm calls of my hens and quickly run outside to stop and shoo it away. I had 7 chickens, 4 buff Orrington's and 3 sapphire gems and I wanted to ask you guys if you have ever dealt with grief from a death of a chicken from a predator. It really hurts and hits you on a personal level when you are emotionally attached to your animals and for them to happily pecking and content with themselves to being dead a few hours laters. Does it ever hurt you on a personal level when you have a chicken you raised from when it was tiny chick and developed into it's own adult unique personality. I feel like some people think chickens are stupid animals and for it to be weird to be so grief stricken over a chicken's death but this is just different. This chicken, that you fed treats, petted, hugged, and played with from the day it was a peeping chicken to when it was in it's awkward stage of a pullet, to when it developed a beautiful long comb and layed its first eggs... is lying dead with blood everywhere. I was just feeding the chickens and being with them these past few days and I could just feel the lack of presence of one of the chickens. I know I'm writing a lot of rambling thoughts but this has been on my mind for a few days now. When a beloved chicken member of yours dies, and you go out to feed and greet the chickens but you don't hear the distinctive calls or sounds of the one chicken anymore when it's dead. You can just feel its missing presence and things don't feel right, and you wish you could have stopped the fox or heck punch that bastard for killing your beloved hen but you can't change the past... Losing a chicken to illness is one thing because you are mentally prepared and seeing the chicken slowly go, but to lose it to a predator? The chicken was happily thriving a few hours ago and now its lying dead with feathers ripped everywhere and blood. Its just so heartbreaking. Sorry I know I sound like I am having a meltdown but its really difficult losing one chicken and it's the first time this has happened. I would love to know if you chicken keepers had a similar story of being hurt and upset of losing a chicken to a predator.

I see this post was from over a year ago, but this just happened to us a few days ago. We had seen predators around, so my Dad, who we are staying with temporary to assist him (he's 86), didn't want them out without supervision. Wednesday I had an appointment around the time I'd let them out, so I left them in the barn. My wife got home from work and let them out and went to the house. It wasn't an hour later that a hawk grabbed our precious bantam rooster, Cocky. He didn't come in that night, which is not him. He never leaves the flock, and has always came in at night. Over the next two days I found the evidence, and I've the hawk twice since. It left only his feathers just inside the cornfield. It's December here in Michigan, just 2 days after Christmas when this happened. We have been mild this year, and no snow at the time, so they have been out later than previous winters. As hard this was, my Dad blames me for it even though I wasn't home and didn't let them out. That's another story of how messed up my family is. But anyway, this is most pain I have ever felt over a chicken. He entertaining, fun, friendly, and tame. He wasn't much bigger than a pigeon, so a quick easy target for the hawk. The chickens have been cooped up in the barn since.

 

[Callender Girl]

I am sorry about Cocky. It's easy to play the blame game, but it won't fill up the empty space that Cocky left. I have cried plenty of tears over chickens, so I know your pain is real.

Take care of your hens; they will need you more than ever now. He was likely trying to defend his flock when he was taken. And, take care of yourself!