First Fox Attack

[Haunted55]

Yesterday was an interesting day....My ducks and geese have figured out how to open the gate into their pen. While I was changing pool water, they jimmied the gate open and ran out into the yard. Great...just what I needed as I wasn't any where near being done with the chores. Two more houses and theirs to finish. Got it all done finally and my son showed up to help me get the front wall of my new chicken house built and up. Between talking and working, it took us a while and it was finally stood up and plumbed by 2:30pm. Son left to get something to eat and enjoy the rest of his day. I then tried to round up everyone and put them away....yeah right, I had ducks and geese everywhere and there was no way they were going in while it was still early. Decided to get to work and lay out the back wall of the building and see about getting that together as most of the ducks were hanging out with me there anyways. I had finished with the lay out of this wall and was just going to start cutting the studs when I heard a sound not normal to my ducks. I looked up and not 40' away from me I saw what I at first thought was a Fisher running after one of my ducks. Man, I didn't think this body could move that fast! I ran and screaming all the way, grabbed a metal pipe laying on the ground and went after it. As I got closer I could see it was a fox instead and even though I was there it didn't want to let go. I think it finally got the message I wasn't going to give up either when the pipe came within an inch of it's head. Sorry, I slipped as I was wearing flip flops of all things and the ground is slippery from all the rain we've had. The fox left rather quickly after that and the duck was able to walk to me and then back underneath their house to hide.

Knowing that fox hadn't gone very far, I couldn't leave the area. Tried calling my son, but he had gone out. With a lot of yelling and hand signals, I was finally able to get most of the ducks into their pen, but the geese weren't having anything to do with that. I couldn't get the duck to come out from under the house so all I could do was wait and watch until I could get someone here to help. Poor girl, she was staying right close to me but wouldn't come out for anything. At 5:30pm, husband got here and he rounded up the geese and help me get the duck out and into the pen. I will need to recheck her leg and foot today as the final grab by the fox had been there. Last night she was fine, no blood, just a few feathers lost from her back. Even though I probably scared her as much as the attack, she did come and sit with me on the steps of their house and allow me to check her over. This in itself may not seem like much, but my birds are not cuddlers. Some will come and lie at my feet when I am sitting with them, but will not let me touch them. This girl came up their ramp on her own and sat next to me and let me check her out.

Now to finish the construction as fast as possible and get the electric fence back up and running.

 

[Whittni]

That's so scary, I'm glad that fox failed to get anyone.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yesterday was an interesting day....My ducks and geese have figured out how to open the gate into their pen. While I was changing pool water, they jimmied the gate open and ran out into the yard. Great...just what I needed as I wasn't any where near being done with the chores. Two more houses and theirs to finish. Got it all done finally and my son showed up to help me get the front wall of my new chicken house built and up. Between talking and working, it took us a while and it was finally stood up and plumbed by 2:30pm. Son left to get something to eat and enjoy the rest of his day. I then tried to round up everyone and put them away....yeah right, I had ducks and geese everywhere and there was no way they were going in while it was still early. Decided to get to work and lay out the back wall of the building and see about getting that together as most of the ducks were hanging out with me there anyways. I had finished with the lay out of this wall and was just going to start cutting the studs when I heard a sound not normal to my ducks. I looked up and not 40' away from me I saw what I at first thought was a Fisher running after one of my ducks. Man, I didn't think this body could move that fast! I ran and screaming all the way, grabbed a metal pipe laying on the ground and went after it. As I got closer I could see it was a fox instead and even though I was there it didn't want to let go. I think it finally got the message I wasn't going to give up either when the pipe came within an inch of it's head. Sorry, I slipped as I was wearing flip flops of all things and the ground is slippery from all the rain we've had. The fox left rather quickly after that and the duck was able to walk to me and then back underneath their house to hide.

Knowing that fox hadn't gone very far, I couldn't leave the area. Tried calling my son, but he had gone out. With a lot of yelling and hand signals, I was finally able to get most of the ducks into their pen, but the geese weren't having anything to do with that. I couldn't get the duck to come out from under the house so all I could do was wait and watch until I could get someone here to help. Poor girl, she was staying right close to me but wouldn't come out for anything. At 5:30pm, husband got here and he rounded up the geese and help me get the duck out and into the pen. I will need to recheck her leg and foot today as the final grab by the fox had been there. Last night she was fine, no blood, just a few feathers lost from her back. Even though I probably scared her as much as the attack, she did come and sit with me on the steps of their house and allow me to check her over. This in itself may not seem like much, but my birds are not cuddlers. Some will come and lie at my feet when I am sitting with them, but will not let me touch them. This girl came up their ramp on her own and sat next to me and let me check her out.

Now to finish the construction as fast as possible and get the electric fence back up and running.

My goodness that was close, glad you were able to scare the fox off and your duck hopefully will still be fine this morning, Just another reason why we need to always be vigilant when it comes to our flock.

 

[Haunted55]

You are so right! This after our conversation yesterday. Today, the hawks are circling, lol. Tell me again why I signed up for this? You know what kept going through my head? What happens to birds that are left to roam on their own? This wouldn't have been a clean kill, that fox wasn't able to get to the neck even though it was very good sized. The poor girl was dragging herself along as the fox was half on her and half on the ground behind. I'm just glad that the powers that be allowed me to get to her quickly. I do regret I wasn't allowed to connect though.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You are so right! This after our conversation yesterday. Today, the hawks are circling, lol. Tell me again why I signed up for this? You know what kept going through my head? What happens to birds that are left to roam on their own? This wouldn't have been a clean kill, that fox wasn't able to get to the neck even though it was very good sized. The poor girl was dragging herself along as the fox was half on her and half on the ground behind. I'm just glad that the powers that be allowed me to get to her quickly. I do regret I wasn't allowed to connect though.

Your so right, before we finished the fencing I was a nervous wreck everyday I let mine out to range but I did, I am forever thankful I lost none and will never know how close I may have come to it. There is always something wanting to eat our birds. Glad you were there to intervene. How is she this morning?

 

[Haunted55]

Your so right, before we finished the fencing I was a nervous wreck everyday I let mine out to range but I did, I am forever thankful I lost none and will never know how close I may have come to it. There is always something wanting to eat our birds. Glad you were there to intervene. How is she this morning?

I just got in from chores and I have to be honest and tell you I made a huge mistake! It wasn't the duck who was got...it was the drake with her. Can we say dumb? Lol, seriously, he must have hightailed it back to the pen before i finished chasing the fox off and she was the one who came to me and then went under the house. Wow...I did do a check on all of the pekins after getting the geese in but that was over an hour later and saw nothing out of the ordinary. I now know that he was the one sleeping by the fence . Poor little guy...he is now doctored and Blu-Koted and he really is fine. He does have a gash on his side down close to the tail but it has closed and looks good. Feathers missing and his tail is showing but other than that, quite a lucky ducky. Me....I'm shaking thinking I missed this last night. This could have been much more serious and he could be gone because of inattention on my part. Wow.

 

[baseballchick]

I am so glad your little guy is ok!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just got in from chores and I have to be honest and tell you I made a huge mistake! It wasn't the duck who was got...it was the drake with her. Can we say dumb? Lol, seriously, he must have hightailed it back to the pen before i finished chasing the fox off and she was the one who came to me and then went under the house. Wow...I did do a check on all of the pekins after getting the geese in but that was over an hour later and saw nothing out of the ordinary. I now know that he was the one sleeping by the fence . Poor little guy...he is now doctored and Blu-Koted and he really is fine. He does have a gash on his side down close to the tail but it has closed and looks good. Feathers missing and his tail is showing but other than that, quite a lucky ducky. Me....I'm shaking thinking I missed this last night. This could have been much more serious and he could be gone because of inattention on my part. Wow.

Aww poor fellow, glad he is okay.

 

[Amiga]

Predator pressure really demonstrates our limits, I feel. Trying to get anything done seems to distract me from total attention to the ducks (laws of physics apply, I think - I can either be watching the ducks or watching what I am doing).

And predators watch us, so they can move in when we are involved in something else. Weird things happen. We do what we can. At the same time I remind myself my safety training around p.t.o. shafts on tractors. We know the safety protocol, but then we get in a hurry, and take a short cut, and get away with it. So we get away with it a few times, and then it's a bad habit. And that's where we can be at serious risk, because most of the time, we get away with it.

I doubt most of us have the money to set up a perfect security system. Even then, it depends on us remembering to do everything at the right time, not getting distracted or ill or overheated. I am convinced there is a great deal of divine grace in our lives, in spite of the occasional tragedy.

 

[Haunted55]

Predator pressure really demonstrates our limits, I feel. Trying to get anything done seems to distract me from total attention to the ducks (laws of physics apply, I think - I can either be watching the ducks or watching what I am doing).

And predators watch us, so they can move in when we are involved in something else. Weird things happen. We do what we can. At the same time I remind myself my safety training around p.t.o. shafts on tractors. We know the safety protocol, but then we get in a hurry, and take a short cut, and get away with it. So we get away with it a few times, and then it's a bad habit. And that's where we can be at serious risk, because most of the time, we get away with it.

I doubt most of us have the money to set up a perfect security system. Even then, it depends on us remembering to do everything at the right time, not getting distracted or ill or overheated. I am convinced there is a great deal of divine grace in our lives, in spite of the occasional tragedy.

Divine Grace indeed Amiga!!! Needless to say, yesterday they didn't get out of their pen at all and it's not looking good for today either. Normally, I have back-up from my dog. She allows nothing in her yard at all and happily chases after anything, including the bear, to remove it from her area. Unfortunately, she had gone walk-a-bout, down to my Son's to visit, without me knowing. Lesson learned, trust no one, including the dog.