The girls are all gone

[oesdog]

Sorry to say after many years of having hens here. We had a fox attack .
I'm still pretty shocked and raw.
We only had 3 girls left out of the many we've had over the years but they were special and very much loved pets. Betsie, Marigold and Gwendoline were all sadly killed. The fox got in through the next door neighbour's shed. It managed to negotiate concrete slabs and tear off the coop door. All this less than 100yrds from where we sleep. Betsie lay in the coop where she slept, Marigold made it to the feed tray outside and died there, Gwendoline the eldest made it all the way to the far end of the run to the duck house but only feathers remained. I can only assume she is also dead and taken for food.
The fox had culinary discernment and took my best Maran hen. We are both devastated. Been up all night checking the ducks there ok this morning. But know the bestie fox will come back now. Oes x

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Sorry to say after many years of having hens here. We had a fox attack .
I'm still pretty shocked and raw.
We only had 3 girls left out of the many we've had over the years but they were special and very much loved pets. Betsie, Marigold and Gwendoline were all sadly killed. The fox got in through the next door neighbour's shed. It managed to negotiate concrete slabs and tear off the coop door. All this less than 100yrds from where we sleep. Betsie lay in the coop where she slept, Marigold made it to the feed tray outside and died there, Gwendoline the eldest made it all the way to the far end of the run to the duck house but only feathers remained. I can only assume she is also dead and taken for food.
The fox had culinary discernment and took my best Maran hen. We are both devastated. Been up all night checking the ducks there ok this morning. But know the bestie fox will come back now. Oes x

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

What a horrifying find! I’m so sorry!!!

 

[Waves]

It's my worst fear about chicken since i've had chickens.
So, i'm very, very, very sorry for your losses

 

[oesdog]

I'm really sad today. It's very quiet here now. No morning arguing over the nest box. Feeding time is very quick with just two ducks left. Collecting eggs is now just the one egg from the duck. The new norm is very painful and I find myself wandering aimlessly up to the hen house and staring at the empty run. My heart is broken.
They were just playing round my feet on sunday afternoon. I just cleaned the coop.
Silly but I keep looking for Gwendoline but I know she is dead. Yes a very sad day indeed. Oes

 

[Waves]

Big hug
last summer i lost two chickens of five from an heatstroke.
One of the three survived hens was really dying, but i don't know how, she recovered suddenly. When i brought my remained three hens in the coop for the night i was shocked by the silence there was. It's hard to believe but there is an enormous difference between a flock of 5 and a flock of 3.
When they were all 5 and they pecked the feed in the night coop it seemed like there was many horses galloping. Now, there was only a quite sound. the run was silence even during the day, they got along very well, but it was strange.
I spent months to be used to it.

Really, understanding you. i hope that sharing my story helped you. When i lost chickens, BYC has been a great help