Such a sad day.

[weslammey]

I got up this morning like I always do at 6:00 and went to the kitchen to make coffee. I heard my hens making a little ruckus and then all was quiet. A couple minutes later all hell broke loose and I saw one of my hens fly across the yard. I ran outside to see what was going on and spooked a fox and he ran off and jumped and cleared a 6' privacy fence. Yesterday I had 4 hens and 6 pullets. Now I have 3 hens and 2 pullets. I lock the hens up every night but last night it was storming and I forgot to go out after the storm. So sad.

I'll post pictures of a dead fox in a few days.

 

[sideWing]

Dang. So sorry to hear it. I just put up a 6ft fence and I was hopping it was enough. I don't see any fox around, but I'm a little nervous about it.

 

[weslammey]

I have lived here for 3 years. In a not so rural area I'm 1/4 mile from a Walmart and neighborhoods all around. I have never seen one either until today. He didn't even try to eat them he was just killing them and moving on to the next.

 

[Honey B]

I am sorry about your birds. Foxes are tough customers to deal with, looking forward to you follow up pictures.

 

[sideWing]

I have lived here for 3 years. In a not so rural area I'm 1/4 mile from a Walmart and neighborhoods all around. I have never seen one either until today. He didn't even try to eat them he was just killing them and moving on to the next.

My friend lives a half mile from me and had the same thing happen. Killed them all!

 

[RubyPriestess]

I'm so sorry to hear that! I honestly feel like losing hens/pullets is more of a blow than losing the cockerels/roo's.
Foxes don't exist where I live, but I really feel for everyone who has such nasty predators about!

 

[weslammey]

I worked for an extermination company for a while in their wildlife division. I will catch him.

 

[Kadu]

oh man I know the pain! ='( I lost 27 birds to a pack of coyotes... they were just killing, didn't even eat them. So sad. I brought them home from the post office on a freezing cold day, they survived that cold trip and I took care of them until 8 weeks old, and one night, they were killed for no reason. They coyotes tore off the staples that held the chicken wire for the tractor. It was such a sad day. Just yesterday I was sitting by my chickens thinking, I would have had 27 more all grown up and ready to go by now.... I just can't get over it. I haven't been able to do anything about the coyotes, except now our guard dog goes out on the tree by the coops every night. If I hear/see the coyotes, I let Charles go and they whimper and scatter off. Charles haven't killed one yet.... I really want to shoot them though, I'm thinking I'm going to get some bait and wait for them with a shot gun. I'm so sorry for your loss... Its hard, I know....

 

[Kadu]

Back when my incident happened, someone told me to kill it, cook it and give it to the chickens. That.... I thought about that a little bit, made me feel better. lol maybe it will help you!

Also, you have 4 birds left right? That's something! I have 5 survivors from that attack too. (Honestly, seeing them reminds me of that night over and over, but oh well)

 

[stake]

Welsammy:

I know the feeling ....came home today to find two feather piles....I've lost one to a hawk in the fall and five to a fox....I tried the have-a-heart trap and will be getting some leg traps...I am suburban and I think my loses are greater than the rural folks...this fox failed x4 times last year and has learned....it knows when the pooch is outside and when I am there....last time it waited til I went back in to get a cup of coffee (I had a broody outside on eggs) getting ready to move her...its very discouraging...