I lost my chickens :(

[Ukelele101]

Hi, I found this group completely by accident and I’m so glad I did. I have had chickens for about 3 years and I absolutely loved them. Yes they were a pain when they got into the garden and ate my plants but I loved cuddling them and having a chat with them.
Im using past tense because a few mornings ago I went out to see them ago and a fox had got them. I was distraught! I thought everything was secure but I think they had somehow got out, no idea how and a fox got them.
There not really much point to my post other than to share my sadness 😢

: - (

Oh that's so sad. Poor things and poor you.

[Unmumsnetty hugs]

Part and parcel of owning hens unfortunately. Sorry to hear it, though.

That happened to me. DH bought me one of those light sensitive door closers but it shut too early one day and locked them out and the cock killed them ALL - 7 hens and a cockerel. That was 8 years ago, 4 years ago a badger dug into the run and ripped the door of the hutch! the cockerel fought him and we came down to find all the hens cowering in the coop - the badger no where to be seen and the cockerel had his head and leg hanging off and died in DH's arms 10 mins after we found him :( 2 hens died within 6 hours - of shock we think. Nothing since. It is so brutal (

foc not cock!

We caught the whole thing on the CCTV we have in the field :(

I was looking at those automatic door closers but I’m not sure I would trust it!

We will get more hens at some point but not for a while. I want to do some work on the coop/run to make sure it’s as fox proof as possible.

We stopped keeping hens because it’s too distressing when they get killed by foxes , and it happened so many times
We kept replacing the hens and making the runs and house more secure , but it doesn’t work
It makes me cross when the nature programmes put cute looking fox cubs on telly , we call them the chicken murderers
I'm sorry you lost your lovely hens , they have such sweet personalities