[mojocafa]

I culled 2 this week but it was easy as the were vicious little 8^$]^?%$

[in the hills]

We kill and eat our cockerels FW but find it difficult once we've thought of them as 'keepers'.

Illogical I know but how it is for us.

[Fleecewife]

Ah well - that's the problem sorted.  The fox came today, killed Dwayne and 7 hens, just Napoleon and 3 hens left. 

[NicandChic]

Oh dear, sorry to hear that 

[mojocafa]

 

The problem might be soved but what a $#|] outcome

[Bionic]

Awwwm so sorry to hear that. I know just how it feels

[SallyintNorth]

Oh no 

 

[Mammyshaz]

  not a nice way for you to find it sorted or to lose your girls.    fox 

[plumseverywhere]

Oh no!  poor you FW that's really tough.

[Fleecewife]

Thank you everyone for your sympathy.  I know losing hens to the fox happens to all of us at one time or another, and we've had visitations before, but it's a bitch when it happens.  I can't stop thinking about my beautiful, peaceful, gentle hens being ripped apart.
I'm now nervous about the survivors as I'm sure the fox will come back for them.  We persuaded them to go in early last night, and they're still shut in this morning, although their house will rapidly get too hot.  I'll let them out again when I can be hanging around - maybe I'll take a spinning wheel up to the orchard and sit and spin with them 

Mr F seems pretty fatalistic that they will go too, but I'm not giving in without a fight.

[plumseverywhere]

I know what you mean    We lost one one night and then a few days later, broad daylight under the nose of my neighbour 11 were killed.    It played on my mind too for ages after. 
I don't know what else you can do apart from upping the security depending on your circumstances./   We left a light on over night as our bathroom over looks the coops and run, tried all the traditional things of men wee'ing round and human hair etc and then had to resort to trapping and shooting to reduce the numbers and take out the huge, huge dog fox that killed ours as well as several of the neighbours lambs, ducks, geese...   fingers crossed for you FW

[ladyK]

Oh no, how awful! Feeling for you FW   
Hope you can keep the fox away 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I am so sorry to hear that.

[Louise Gaunt]

Thats really sad, I am so sorry, not a pleasant experience. I hope the others stay safe.

[Fleecewife]

The latest update:

One of the surviving three hens, which went broody on the day of the attack, has just hatched all seven of the eggs we popped underneath her 

Another of the hens is laying so we are getting some eggs, although obviously we've had to take down our 'Eggs for Sale' sign.

The third hen which laid like clockwork right through the winter is having a good rest now, but has at last got over her stress of the attack - she must have had a near miss.

And Napoleon is happy as a sandboy and thinks he's a daddy, although he's no longer fertile so the chicks are all Dwayne's.  Doubtless some of the chicks will be cockerels so we'll start the problem all over again.

Fox hasn't taken any more so far, and they are happily going to bed early and getting up late to avoid it.  It's nearly my birthday and my youngest son is getting me that catapult I want - watch out fox, because I'm a good shot, if out of practice.