ShiviBear
Songster
So, there are about 8 hens out of my 50 something (I think 57 now with this loss) that jump the fence by the wood pile and go foraging outside their enclosure. No matter what I do, they seem to find a way to get out. One of them, Rhonda, one of the nicest ones likes to jump over pretty late, while the other 7 are smart enough to stay behind the fence after dinner.
I have told this chicken COUNTLESS times that she will get eaten. I told her her every day.
This morning when I when to open my sweet girls, saw a small pile of feathers near the enclosure and knew immediately that Rhonda must have wondered away at dusk last night, couldn't find her way back because it was too dark and roosted somewhere outside the coop and outside the enclosure.
I feel horrible because as I was closing the coop I thought to myself whether I saw her but remembered throwing her over the fence less then 30 minutes ago, telling her she's gonna get eaten once again. I even looked around the wood pile for her but didn't check for her in the coop, something I ALWAYS do but this time I didn't, which I feel so guilty about.
I walked around after seeing the feathers thinking maybe she hid somewhere (one of my favorite hens, Vulture, escaped a hawk one night so it CAN happen) but saw a larger amount of feathers further away and then the carnage out by the back field, a good way away from the coop. Poor thing, it breaks my heart to think how terrified she must have been. This is my first predator loss.
My guess is a fox, he slinks around here at dusk and although I've never seen him by the coop I've chased him away from around my cottage which is in sight of the coop. But I'm sure he's been around the barn and coop at night, thankfully the hens are protected by an electric fence.
So, I guess this was more of guilt post then a question, but do ya'll think that since the fox found an easy meal this time that he will be more likely to come back at odd times?
It's no problem at night, the coop is quite fortified, but I've seen him around at dusk...and really, what stopping him from coming during the day when I'm not around the barn?
And I haven't looked this up yet, but how do I stop the rest of the jailbreak crew from hopping the fence? 2 or 3 of them wonder FAR and they're not paying much attention to their surroundings.
Can I clip their wings myself?
Ok, thank you for listening.
RIP Rhonda, I'm sorry I failed you sweet hen.
I have told this chicken COUNTLESS times that she will get eaten. I told her her every day.
This morning when I when to open my sweet girls, saw a small pile of feathers near the enclosure and knew immediately that Rhonda must have wondered away at dusk last night, couldn't find her way back because it was too dark and roosted somewhere outside the coop and outside the enclosure.
I feel horrible because as I was closing the coop I thought to myself whether I saw her but remembered throwing her over the fence less then 30 minutes ago, telling her she's gonna get eaten once again. I even looked around the wood pile for her but didn't check for her in the coop, something I ALWAYS do but this time I didn't, which I feel so guilty about.
I walked around after seeing the feathers thinking maybe she hid somewhere (one of my favorite hens, Vulture, escaped a hawk one night so it CAN happen) but saw a larger amount of feathers further away and then the carnage out by the back field, a good way away from the coop. Poor thing, it breaks my heart to think how terrified she must have been. This is my first predator loss.
My guess is a fox, he slinks around here at dusk and although I've never seen him by the coop I've chased him away from around my cottage which is in sight of the coop. But I'm sure he's been around the barn and coop at night, thankfully the hens are protected by an electric fence.
So, I guess this was more of guilt post then a question, but do ya'll think that since the fox found an easy meal this time that he will be more likely to come back at odd times?
It's no problem at night, the coop is quite fortified, but I've seen him around at dusk...and really, what stopping him from coming during the day when I'm not around the barn?
And I haven't looked this up yet, but how do I stop the rest of the jailbreak crew from hopping the fence? 2 or 3 of them wonder FAR and they're not paying much attention to their surroundings.
Can I clip their wings myself?
Ok, thank you for listening.
RIP Rhonda, I'm sorry I failed you sweet hen.
