A few birds survived predator attack 😥

[apryl29]

Yes they lay extra large eggsl! We will put more chicken wire on the sides and once we fence in the future free ranging area we will put electric fence around it. (is that how you call it?)

Consider getting hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. Chicken wire is strands of wire held together with a few twists that can be pulled apart by larger animals. Hardware cloth is stronger and more secure bc it's welded wire. Something like this:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/garden-zone-48-in-h-x-100-ft-w-hardware-cloth-1-2-in
This is a 100' bundle which is why it costs so much.

 

[NatJ]

I found a fresh egg in a heap of straw! I will not eat it because of the stress the hens were under last night

You can eat the egg if you want to. Stress to the hen does not harm the egg. It will be just as good as any other egg.

Foxes attacked my hens a few hours ago... And how on earth did something get into our backyard?!?

Maybe they came over a fence? Foxes can jump and climb.

I have seen a fox go over a wood fence that is 6 feet high (almost 2 meters). The fence was made of boards that all stand straight up, so nothing obvious to grab or climb. The fox went over the fence several times, in different places, and it always went so fast I could not tell whether it jumped or climbed. (That was in the USA, and the fox was red/orange in color-- I do not know how many kinds of foxes exist, or how different they may be from each other.)

 

[EIEIO Funny Farm]

Foxes attacked my hens a few hours ago. I am so devasted! The foxes killed 6 of my laying hens and one silkie pullet R.I.P Marylyn, Pearl, Amber, Chocolate, Mavis, Suxy and Pinkie. I now have 4 of the laying hens that are pretty shaken and 3 silkie roosters that are just missing feathers. One of the hens Toffee has a small but quite deep wound under her wing. Other than that they are okay but I'm worried if the stress is not too much for them. When I took them inside some of them shrieked but they are now calm and sleeping. But the find that I can't figure out is that the laying hens were in their run but Marylyn ( silkie) was in our backyard and her head was beside the coop in the run. And how on earth did something get into our backyard?!? I took my torch and looked around into the fields and there were 2 pairs of fox eyes watching a few meters away. And will the hens survive the shock? I am very worried about them. I sprayed Toffees wound with disinfectant and put some lavender essential oil in the coop for them to calm down. One hen's eyelid is scratched but she's okay. It looks as If they all did calm down. I hope they make it till the morning. I will be very thankful for any advice!

Oh no!! I’m so sorry. That’s tragic and something many of us worry about. You must be very heartbroken.
A Fox killed my neighbors rooster last week, but she let him roam the property.
my hens did witness that attack and were traumatized for about a week they wouldn’t go to that side of the yard.
Do you know how they got into your yard? I’m so sorry

 

[EIEIO Funny Farm]

You can eat the egg if you want to. Stress to the hen does not harm the egg. It will be just as good as any other egg.



Maybe they came over a fence? Foxes can jump and climb.

I have seen a fox go over a wood fence that is 6 feet high (almost 2 meters). The fence was made of boards that all stand straight up, so nothing obvious to grab or climb. The fox went over the fence several times, in different places, and it always went so fast I could not tell whether it jumped or climbed. (That was in the USA, and the fox was red/orange in color-- I do not know how many kinds of foxes exist, or how different they may be from each other.)

Oh no! I worry about that. My hens have a small coop, but they free range in my small back yard all day. I have a good fence, about five feet, but now worried the fox will climb it.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Yes they lay extra large eggsl! We will put more chicken wire on the sides and once we fence in the future free ranging area we will put electric fence around it. (is that how you call it?)

Chicken wire does not properly defend a chicken. I can pull it apart with my hands - so can a fox.
Get hardware cloth.

 

[Silkie Princess]

You can eat the egg if you want to. Stress to the hen does not harm the egg. It will be just as good as any other egg.



Maybe they came over a fence? Foxes can jump and climb.

I have seen a fox go over a wood fence that is 6 feet high (almost 2 meters). The fence was made of boards that all stand straight up, so nothing obvious to grab or climb. The fox went over the fence several times, in different places, and it always went so fast I could not tell whether it jumped or climbed. (That was in the USA, and the fox was red/orange in color-- I do not know how many kinds of foxes exist, or how different they may be from each other.)

The silkies like sleeping next to the chicken run. I think the fox caught her while the other silkies spooked and ran away

 

[Silkie Princess]

To be honest the chickens were,, free- range" because there was only bird netting around the space where they roamed. That was because they always ran away to the neighbours garden and destroyed her garden So yes no real fencing. There was a piece that got loose and the foxes got in through that. Yesterday I looked there was a gigantic fresh bitten gap in it. And a LOT of pawprints all over the field next door. I will post pics of it

 

[TheOddOneOut]

To be honest the chickens were,, free- range" because there was only bird netting around the space where they roamed. That was because they always ran away to the neighbours garden and destroyed her garden So yes no real fencing. There was a piece that got loose and the foxes got in through that. Yesterday I looked there was a gigantic fresh bitten gap in it. And a LOT of pawprints all over the field next door. I will post pics of it

I’m sorry - you only have bird netting protecting them???

 

[Silkie Princess]

You can eat the egg if you want to. Stress to the hen does not harm the egg. It will be just as good as any other egg.



Maybe they came over a fence? Foxes can jump and climb.

I have seen a fox go over a wood fence that is 6 feet high (almost 2 meters). The fence was made of boards that all stand straight up, so nothing obvious to grab or climb. The fox went over the fence several times, in different places, and it always went so fast I could not tell whether it jumped or climbed. (That was in the USA, and the fox was red/orange in color-- I do not know how many kinds of foxes exist, or how different they may be from each other.)

Also I have a dog. I don't think he would let a fox kill his beloved silkies

 

[Silkie Princess]

I’m sorry - you only have bird netting protecting them???

Well yes and no. They have 2 runs and the bird netting was only keeping them from not straying too far when free ranging