Mental Impact of Fox Attack?

[Sfkhalil]

Hello,
About a week ago I lost 4 of my 6 chickens (pullets) to a fox attack. I am trying to replace them ASAP so the other 2 are not too lonely, although they seem extremely bored and a bit different than before. For example they crave attention a lot more and come running much quicker than when it was all 6.

Can a fox attack (if witnessed by the other chicks) cause mental harm and how do I take care of them? They are only 2 months old when the incident happened so I was assuming that they wouldn't realize what had happened, just that their family size shrunk dramatically. The two remaining breeds are a red cochin bantam and buff Orpington. What thoughts do you guys have?

 

[Naser]

Sorry for your loss
Just be sure your coop and run are predators proof and the hens will be fine, when the new hens arrive they will be busy sorting out their pecking order and they will forget about the fox.

 

[centrarchid]

They will change behavior a lot. They may be inclined to avoid area where they encountered fox. They will also become more flighty. Mine will become much more willing to fly over open spaces when scared. They will also be more inclined to fly through open areas even when no predator evident. Part of behavior you see may be simply due to a reduction in chicken numbers.

 

[Sfkhalil]

They will change behavior a lot. They may be inclined to avoid area where they encountered fox. They will also become more flighty. Mine will become much more willing to fly over open spaces when scared. They will also be more inclined to fly through open areas even when no predator evident. Part of behavior you see may be simply due to a reduction in chicken numbers.

Okay good to know. When I get new baby chicks in a few days, when can I safely combine the 2 flocks? These chickens are 2 months old

 

[centrarchid]

Okay good to know. When I get new baby chicks in a few days, when can I safely combine the 2 flocks? These chickens are 2 months old

I would wait a month or so at least. That will also be the subject of another thread where issue can be addressed in detail.

 

[cmom]

I have lost birds over the years to a variety of predators. A couple of times to a fox. When a fox took my special bird I cried like a baby for a couple of days. I do think they may be somewhat aware but they are not human and once the new flock is established and they work out their pecking order they should be ok. The attack may affect their behavior somewhat. I had an owl get into a coop and kill several birds. I had three remaining birds. The male was especially freaked out. I moved them to another coop and eventually they were back to a more normal behavior. They were bloody from the attack. The male must have fought with the owl to protect his females. Good luck...

The fox has probably been lurking looking for an opportunity. The fox that killed my birds, I eliminated. It made the mistake of coming back for another try. I don't bother them as long as they leave my birds alone. I have since seen more fox on my game cameras.