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My 2 girls were foxed last night.

5 replies

iMum · 05/05/2010 13:09

As a family we are devestated-our 2 girls who we have had for 3 years were last night. They are in a pen and at night sleep in the eglu. DH put them to bed and didnt quite shut the eglu door properly, nor the pen door (which is ok as when properly in their eglu they are safe) this morning ds1 went out to "do" the chickens and came running in upset as there were feathers everywhere and no choocks.

The dog woke me up at 3 last night barking (unlke him) and so I let him out he bounded up the garden and barked alot then came in, if only I had gone out tho I might have been able to scare the fox off.

So ive cleaned all up, lots of paw scratch marks all over the eglu poor girls must have been so scared. my ginger was soo tame and friendly, would follow you about and loved being held and fussed.

I went and got 2 new hen today who are obviously very young so are not at all tame! and are in fact terrified! also one of then (Irene) just keeps trying to jump out of the 7ft high pen and has made it once so far landing thankfully on the trampolene net where I was able to catch her.

Me thinks this is going to be a tricky time for us!

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CheeryCherry · 05/05/2010 13:24

Oh no, thats terrible news. And the whole point of the eglu is that they are fox proof...but it is so easy to not shut it properly. (we leave ours half open, and shut the outer run). Just shows how often there must be foxes around...it cant be coincidence that one happens to visit the one night the door is ajar.
Have heard that this is a common time to lose hens to foxes.
Best of luck with your newbies, if they are fiesty young things at least they will keep you and your family entertained/distracted. Hope you DS is ok with it all, it must have been a shock.

bramblebooks · 05/05/2010 13:37

I am sorry to hear this My girls' eglu bedroom door stays open all summer but I must say I'm a bit precious about the run door.

Your girls will be unsettled by their new surroundings. I usually keep newbies in the eglu run for a week, just to help them settle down and to get used to us - and to train them to come to us for treats. When I let them out, I'm aware that they can clear quite a height initially, due to nerviness. They'll soon settle down. Are their wings clipped? You could try doing one side when they've gone up to roost and are sleepy (2 person job - one to hold, one to trim!)

Millie1 · 05/05/2010 14:29

Oh, that's awful - really upsetting for you all. Hope your new chickens will settle quickly.

meltedmarsbars · 06/05/2010 14:11

The new chickens might be able to smell traces of the fox in the house and run? That might be why they're very jumpy?

iMum · 06/05/2010 19:24

Well I gave the whole eglu and pen a good clean out, but yes I agree there must be traces of chicken death there to smell! although they seem a little calmer tday

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