Devastated

[Birdie Wife]

See...why did you post that Alastair...now I feel sorry for the vixen!! What if she had babies??

I am such a softy - I don't believe in removing a life....whether it be chicken, fox or spider!

I know, I know...I'm soft, but it's just my belief system, I suppose.

I see your point... the vixen wouldn't have had cubs though (wrong time of year) so at least the vixen had a swift end with no dependents to suffer in her absence.

[MaureenHall]

OMG!! I'm so sorry to hear this, no wonder you're devastated. I can't begin to imagine how you're feeling. {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{big cuddlehugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[Two_Sheds]

Winter is really biting now and all wild animals are getting very hungry - I noticed the pigeons have now started attacking my kale, which they hadn't before.

Lock up your chooks! Would a baby monitor in the coop help anyone?

[Flummery]

Every chicken-keeper's worst nightmare - so sorry to hear it. We plan to keep ours in a run with a weldmesh roof. In some ways it feels like prison but what can you do?

[Nicos]

I don't mean to minimalize your loss, but- it does make you ( well me!) think how the farmers in Africa must feel when a protected elephant comes and damages all their crops for their family for that year.

I know you can't really compare the loss of your babies ( cos that's what mine have now become) to crops...but ...

I couldn't personally kill a fox- and I'd be more than happy to rear an orphaned one...but I wouldn't be sad to hear that my neighbour had shot some of the local foxes...they seem to shoot everything else which walks/runs/flies and swims round here...but the peskie foxes..... ( is that a double standard folks or what??)

[digthatchick]

I couldn't kill a fox either, or anything else come to that. As a practicing Buddhist it would be against all principles that I hold. (it does test you sometimes) We all learn to appreciate the impermanence of things as we go through life, and hopefully we learn to take notice of the beauty around us each day (including foxes) and not keep grabbing at things we don't need. DD is still sobbing upstairs, but she did say I'd like to get that fox but then when would the killing stop, Dog fox, Vixen, babies ?? ... She's learning.

Love to you all and thanks for all the support.

[Suechooks]

so sorry....i hate foxes .....dont see what good they do for anything............

My friend who has lost all her hens to a fox always says "the only good fox is a dead fox"

[Snadger]

Sorry to hear the pesky fox has got your chooks digthatchick

In this instance I can't say 'I know how you feel' because luckily it hasn't happened to me up til now.

You and your children must be devastated and I just hope this doesn't put you off chook keeping for the future.

Big (((((hugs)))))) from I!

[Alice]

I'm so sorry Chick. If you keep chickens then foxes are always a problem. Their home really does have to be fox proof. That's why I don't keep chickens.
Are you going to start again ?

[frias]

I am so very sorry about the loss of your chooks. Foxes are probably the main fear all of us chook keepers have. ((((hugs))))

[digthatchick]

I'm so sorry Chick. If you keep chickens then foxes are always a problem. Their home really does have to be fox proof. That's why I don't keep chickens.
Are you going to start again ?

Hi Alice
Yes I will start again, building an addition to the run as the new ones will have to be kept in.

Their house and run were completely fox proof, weldmesh sides and roof, but when I am outside in the garden they free range in a 40' x 50' enclosed garden (naturally no roof) this is where they were when I went in to make a cup of tea - expensive mistake!

[BrideXIII]

sadly this is the problem with true free ranging, you are opening the door to foxes and chickens are their prey.

getting back to nature is a grand thing, but it includes the ugly bits too.

[di]

So sorry for you & your family,(((((x))))).
Don't blame yourself though....like you said you were only gone a few minutes...who the heck would know?....it's always my biggest fear when I go up to the lottie.xx

[lizzylemon]

Sorry for your loss. I hope that better things are in store for the rest of 2009.

[Hans Mum]

sorry about your chooks, (((((((hugs)))))) from me too x