[Helencus]

Noticed today that one of the welsummers I hatched in the summer has gone missing. They free range so I guess she never made it back and I didn't notice. Fed up and cross for not counting them last night. No sign of feathers or fox having her but I presume he has 

[faith0504]

oh im so sorry, fingers crossed she turns up, we lost one of ours this morning nowhere to be seen we looked everywhere, then few hours later saw her wandering round in the farmers field next to the house, no idea how she got in there but it was nice to see her,

hope it works out for you 

[northfifeduckling]

I hope she comes back, I know the awful feeling of missing one! Fingers crossed for you

[Helencus]

Thank sadly she didn't come back tonight and there's signs that charlie has been calling signs of trying to dig under electric netting. I think she's fallen victim. Poor girl :-((

[faith0504]

oh bless 

[Helencus]

Thanks faith frankly I feel gutted. Just a young bird.. Bloody hate foxes

[daddymatty82]

sorry to hear you lost one. i lost 3 couple weeks ago and hate foxes with a passion i have a shotgun on call soon as i get a trap to get it. last night god dam fox was calling at 0230 i was to tired to do anything but im getting a long line on my JRT if it happens tonight it sounded as if it was in my front path god dam fox

[Helencus]

Go get it daddymatt I'm going to buy an air rifle I think.

[ambriel]

You'll want something heavier than an air rifle for a fox.

I'd suggest a .410 single barrelled shotgun would be more suitable.

[Helencus]

No licence I'm afraid so I'll have to content myself with taking potshots shots at their ass and hope it puts them off.

[plumseverywhere]

chicken tikka went the same way  no sign of a struggle, no feathers just no chicken. then next day foxy stood by coop licking lips. bloody fox. he keeps weeing and pooing all up my drive and round the barns too just to remind us hes there I think.
sorry to hear about your hen 

[princesspiggy]

we found feathers up on our hill recently, so know what happened to our sussex hens before xmas. a real shame

[plumseverywhere]

oh, so the feathers weren't where the hens were caught but you found them further away princess piggy?  will have to hope my children don't find a pile of tikka's feathers somewhere in our field 

[Helencus]

Thanks all. I clipped their Wings yesterday so hoping they stay put behind the electric netting and that foxy stays out.

[Hardfeather]

It's not unusual for foxes to take poultry without leaving much sign. They are inclined to grab the hen and leg it. They will often go a good distance with the live bird before stopping to kill it.

I was driving home one evening, in the wee small hours, and met a fox leaving my neighbours farm with one of his black rock hens in its mouth. The road was icy, so I couldn't knock it over with the car, but I did cause it to drop the hen, which sat in the road till I picked it up. I took the hen home and, despite bruising to the breast, it recovered and was returned to my neighbour. A couple of days later, the fox was shot in my neighbours yard, eyeing up his remaining birds.

The fox seems to hold the bird by the breast/ribs which, I believe, has the effect of sort of paralizing it and suffocating at the same time. The remote pile of feathers, which are often found if the direction the fox took is known, are at the location where he put the hen down, cleared his mouth of feathers, and killed the hen before continuing on his way.