I wasn't feeling well last night and went to bed early. I asked my son to put everyone to bed as he'd done numerous times. I got up one more time and asked if he locked up the birds and he said he did. I woke very early to a tussle and didn't think much of it, only to get up a couple of hours later, look out the bathroom window, and see the yard door open. Instantly panicked I ran out to find my beloved Polly nowhere..then I found her comb. I began to search for her and instead found one of my young RSLs in the azaleas..nothing but skin, feathers and feet. I cried like a baby, checked on everyone else again and have attempted to go about my day.
I left for two hours to pick up my daughter at my folk's house and returned to my husband and sons to be told that three more were taken while I was gone in broad daylight. The dogs were going crazy on my son's bed and trying to look out the window when my youngest saw a fox run across the yard not 20 feet from our front door, heading toward the chicken yard. My husband jumped up and got his shot gun, but the fox saw him and took off to the back of the property. He looked everywhere for the birds, but they were nowhere to be found and he locked the rest back in their yard. He doesn't know them like I do, so he couldn't tell me who the victims were. I went out to see them to find that four more were missing, not three. My sweet young Wellies (Ember and India), my equally sweet young RSL (Ruby) and my older RSL (Mimi). All of the young birds had just started laying and Mimi was my giant egg layer.
I thought I was doing such a good job. My husband often makes fun of me for how much I clean the coop, how many treats they get, and how much time I spend with them. Ultimately it was my job to protect them and I feel like I've totally let them down. I can't stand the thought of the suffering they endured.
Now I'm concerned for my old cat and little dog. I had no idea foxes could be so brazen during the day. I used to love seeing them around the farm, but now I'm just overwhelmed and still sobbing over chickens for crying out loud! Does it get easier?
I left for two hours to pick up my daughter at my folk's house and returned to my husband and sons to be told that three more were taken while I was gone in broad daylight. The dogs were going crazy on my son's bed and trying to look out the window when my youngest saw a fox run across the yard not 20 feet from our front door, heading toward the chicken yard. My husband jumped up and got his shot gun, but the fox saw him and took off to the back of the property. He looked everywhere for the birds, but they were nowhere to be found and he locked the rest back in their yard. He doesn't know them like I do, so he couldn't tell me who the victims were. I went out to see them to find that four more were missing, not three. My sweet young Wellies (Ember and India), my equally sweet young RSL (Ruby) and my older RSL (Mimi). All of the young birds had just started laying and Mimi was my giant egg layer.
I thought I was doing such a good job. My husband often makes fun of me for how much I clean the coop, how many treats they get, and how much time I spend with them. Ultimately it was my job to protect them and I feel like I've totally let them down. I can't stand the thought of the suffering they endured.
Now I'm concerned for my old cat and little dog. I had no idea foxes could be so brazen during the day. I used to love seeing them around the farm, but now I'm just overwhelmed and still sobbing over chickens for crying out loud! Does it get easier?
