Fox Attack!!!

[Nicos]

Nature at it's worst I fear
Very sorry for you, it's just so unfair after all that effort. Poor little things.

[moggssue]

Oh no, I just dont have any words - so very very sorry Yoanbob. Thinking of you (with tears in my eyes) and wishing you all the very best, you take good care and come back to us when you're ready.
Love and hugs, Sue

[Dobby]

sorry yo a big hug from us both to you both

[SueA]

Really sorry to hear about this Yoanbob, it's such a shame as Elsie had tried so hard to get better & you put so much effort into helping her. Hope you both get over it okay & don't get too downhearted.

[Earthbabe]

Yo so sorry to hear the news. I'm upset for you so I can't imagine how you must feel. Big hug on it's way to you both.

[denise]

What? No! i am so sorry to hear this, thinking of you sending hugs and kisses your way. take care of each other XX

[daisychook]

I am so shocked, and sorry for you, after all you did to help Elsie get better.
Such sad news, I am sorry, but I dont know what to say, other than like everyone else I am upset for you, and thinking of you.

[yoanbob]

Thanks guys,
wanted to tell you on wed. but just couldnt. they left elsies body. the chooks fought like the blazers from the feathers, no sign of plum, Elsie fought too. dont know how to feel about this, go girls for fighting or sad for prologned death.
we had been so carefull about letting them out, people were in there back gardens, not 2 meters away, middle of afetrnoon. we could of corse have kept them in, but even with food inside the healthy ones loose wieght so quickly, and are very distressed, the vet said to try to get back to normal asap, it was only the second day after the first attact we had left them alone, and only for two hours.
normally they would be out out for 17 hours a day. but they were only being let out for the safest 5 hours.
the veg plot isnt locked or safe guarded, we know the locals dont know what plants are and have never had any serious problems, they got into this bit, and went through a neighbors fence, they have 3 boys who think its good sport to try and hit our girls with balls, the boys had broken their fence to get better target practice and thats how they got in.
I am very upset, as i'm sure you can imajine, still breaking into tears at odd moments throughout the day. bob is very sad too.
I miss Ginger for her insatiable curiosity, always pecking my shoes or in the way of paint brush, she allways had blue paint on her from somthing or other, allways pecking your pants from behind like she thought you woulnt notice, just to see what they tasted like. allways just nearly getting her goegous head chopped off while you were digging, cos she thought you wouldnt throw her the worms, bit of a bully too, but not as bad as some we have known. and the most people friendly chook you could ever meet, loved to picked up even by our 3year old nephew, who just wanted to launch her to see her wings flap! she allways went back for more. little diva!
I miss Garlic chook for her independance, her ability to make it look like she wasnt bothered about you but still came running whenever you arrived, then she would check herself, "I'm better than this, I'll wait till your not looking"
and would creep up on you, but look at her her and she would suddenly pretend to be intrested in her foot. bless her.
Plum we got to keep elsie company, we only got the plot because of elsie, lone survivor of a fox attack, we had wanted chooks for ages and were going to invest in a eglu in our back garden, so we read up on ducks and realised she needed a pal, Plum had never been outside and it took her a while to settle. she hid from the sky for a few weeks and it took nearly two months for elsie to teach her how to swim. she was the most beautifull brown you have ever seen, not long after we got her she went broody in the chook laying box, she was only tiny, so we got her some hatchable eggs to sit on, seperated everyone and to our surprise she hatched 4 healthy ducks.
when the neighbours took me to see elsie the first time, i fell in love, she was so big, and georgous, and obviously lonley, we had her a couple of days and she started doing this wierd head movement, so we looked it up, mating ritual, took that to mean i like you.
she did this right up to the last day, "bed time" elsie i would call, she would go off to bed making the head movements, love you too i would say.
the most loved animals in the world, they didnt deserve such violent deaths,
a lot of people will say thats just nature, but would be mad if a car drove over their dog.
~I am heart broken, bob too, I'm just glad that I have this forum to be able to speak about what happened and that they will be remembered and mourned by more than just us. We buried Elsie very deep in her favorite shady spot and put a big stone on top so they carnt dig her up.
thanks for your support, it means a lot.
and no,we wont be replacing unless we win the lottery and can afford to keep them safe.
I had nightmares of lions and tigers trying to get into my house after the first attack, since the second attact its wierd robots. can't sleep, cant go to work without tears, (miss their morning ritual,) cant set of home without crying, (afternoon kip kip with girls kept me going) cant apriciate dusk, have done lots of cleaning,(unheard of)
will get bob to post pics as and when he has a free moment. montage to my girls.
your kind thoughts and comments mean so much.
thank you.

[Waffler]

Well you are certainly not alone with the tears; it may be a very small comfort to know that so many of us are mourning your loss - albeit on a smaller scale, for not actually knowing your girls (although you've painted such a vivid picture - especially regarding Elsie's recovery progress - that I feel like I know them a little bit.)
I don't blame you for not replacing them - as if this were possible. And I have to say that we certainly won't be getting chooks or ducks now, as I simply could not cope with the heart-break.
Just take life at your own pace and take the time you need to grieve.
Loads of love to you both.

[Alice]

How distressing for you both. I hope you will at least a little bit better soon. Thinking about you. Alice.

[poshfan]

foxes

yes I know this is about chickens...but I was reading it and it reminded me of losing my two rabbits to a fox a few weeks ago; went out to feed them one morning to find nothing left but a few bits of fur.....

[vertangie]

I know it was nearly a fortnight ago now and your trained in pharmacology so what I'm about to say might not be your cup of tea but we treat ourselves, our pets (and our plants) with homeopathy. Seeing as you tried rescue remedy for the girls I thought I'd share this with you.

As a basic rule you take higher doses (200c) for things that come on quickly or are more on an emotional level, and you use 30c for everyday things like headaches, light sprains. Animals that need a longer course of dosage need 6c.

Ignatia: You need for the bereavement. I can't recommend this enough I took it when my grandad died and it helped immensely. It just helps you cope and remember people (and pets) for what they were without the constant pit in your stomach and crying. I remember getting the train home after his funeral and was gently crying all the way home but strangely it was because I was missing him and remember all the things we did. It stopped me sobbing uncontrollably.

Aconite: For shock and preparing the body for healing (same goes for arnica, used for surface bruising, also helps the body prepare for healing). This is what I give to myself or my pets when they're in shock. after an attack is the perfect time for it. Rescue remedy then aconite is the rule I go by.

There's a whole heap of remedies that deal with various physical and emotional problems and shocks. I used to be quite a stressed little thing, unable to eat and keep things down, unable to sleep, constantly worrying. I started on homeopathy and got my eating under control, got my stress under control this then allowed me to think about what cause all this at which point we left the city and moved to rural cumbria. Healing nearly complete. I'm a totally different person, the kind of person I always wanted to be. I still have things to worry about of course but they don't get to me.

And yes it is just nature, but exactly what difference does that make when you've lost something you love.

Our dog keeps seeing a fox off out of our garden so I wonder if dogs could be part of the answer.

So sorry to hear of your loss and if you want to PM me with your address I'll post you some ignatia, sounds like you need it. I understand if it's not something you believe in (although I know it's worked on cows and I'm not sure what faith they subscribe to .

Lots of love and healing vibes etc

Angie

[Headfry]

Yoanbob,
Hi, how are you both, I know how you feel, I too am trying to deal with a fistfull of emotions all tied up with loss. The loss of animals/pets is a deep hurt.
please let me know how you are getting on as I have been away for a bit.
Love to you all
Big tears shed by me for your loss.

[yoanbob]

Hi Angie, sounds good, will p.m. you.
Headfry, we are through the worst i think, still missing them like crazy tho, really miss spending time with them, but gotta look forward, and get on. we will get some more eventually but not in the next year, just concentrating on house and wedding now. take care of yourself.

[Headfry]

Hi Yoanbob,

How are you both doing? I'm still sending the hugs!

Thinking of you