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Got back from a weekend away to find feathers all over the garden, and some pretty nasty blood streaks and bits of innerds :o(
Looks like the egg door to my chicken fortress was left open, and a fox (presumably) has squeezed in and killed my 3 girls.
2 very battered bodies in the run and 1 missing completely.
Really sad to see them go like this, must have been a horrible end. Why did the fox need to kill all of them if he was only going to eat one?
Rest in peace 'Mean', 'White' and 'Bovan'. Thanks for all the lovely eggs.
Dave
Tis nature at the end of the day, sad, but saves you wringing their necks when they stop laying I suppose.
Always remember chatting to a farmer about it when he was out hunting foxes. They get in amongst the chickens they will kill every single one. He said that if it was just the odd chicken here and there, then most farmers wouldn't bother with hunting them down.
What a fox will often do is kill them all, take what it needs immediately for it's young, then return later for more now the hard work is done - usually though owners will find the aftermath of the first encounter and do the clean up themselves.
We lost many geese and chickens to foxes but did manage to take out 1 fox when it came back for a return trip.
Id consider their deaths due to my own lack of security skill. Couldn't be angry at the fox when all it's done is outsmart me.
At least it wasn't dressed in red and riding a horse...
If the fox had invented some sort of carrying device it would've taken all the killed chickens with it, and stored them for later use.
However, as they're crap inventors, they plan on returning to pick up the rest later, which is where they get their (unfair) bloodthirsty rep from.
Its just their nature to take advantage of a food suppy where it presents itself.
Yes a fox has the ability to eat rotten meat so will kill anything it can get its paws on, eat its fill and save the rest for ron.The trouble being that someone usually finds its kills first
I can see various places to set snares for foxes in my garden; having lost 3 hens in the past I am tempted to try to catch one but not had any problems since I upgraded my pen so maybe they're no threat now?
Why did the fox need to kill all of them if he was only going to eat one?
Why do some people need to kill the foxes if they only need to have better security?
🙂 Catch one of innumerable foxes in the area or secure the pen better, tough call..... 🙂
their run was impenetrable... unfortunately it relied on being actually shut.
our fault, but doesn't stop us being angry at the fox.
nature; cruel, but nature.
dave
Ah well, RIP chickens, good luck with the next bunch. Fresh home-laid eggs really do taste so much nicer than bought ones.