Alice

[Verinda]

Poor Alice was caught by a fox today, she was my last exbatt and about five or six years old. I really loved her. I know that's the chance you take when you choose have free range hens but it hasn't happened before. It was a horrible end for poor old Alice

[veggiechicken]

So sorry, Verinda
I lost a couple to the fox a few years back so I know how you feel. xx
RIP Alice.

[craftymarie]

I'm sorry to read about Alice. My sister used to keep chickens and she was devastated when a fox got in and killed them all. It is very sad - you just have to think on the nice life she had with you before that. x

[Snoop Puss]

Sorry to hear your news. She had a good life while she was with you, for sure.

[Nicos]

That's really sad.
It's something I worry about with mine too.
( I think we all do)

However....Congratulations on having rescued her and given a lovely home- it must have been absolutely wonderful compared to being trapped in a small cage.

[Scarlet]

Oh sorry to hear that Verinda it's the worst time of year for it as its cub season. She was a lucky ex batt to get to 5! She had a very good life with you so don't be too sad.

[Verinda]

Thank you everyone, reading your responses really has helped.

Alice really did have a lovely life with us but I wish she'd had a nice peaceful end rather than such a horrible one. I hope the fox doesn't snatch my other four much younger hens, I will make sure if they are out and about me and the dog are keeping a much closer eye on them!

[Snadger]

Not nice I know,and i may sound callous but thats the way nature and predaters work. They weed out the old,young and infirm.

R.I.P. Alice

[SaraJH]

Oh no RIP Alice x

[Nannysally99]

Poor you Verinda, what a shock. As the others have all said, you gave Alice a GREAT life when you rescued her

[Small pumpkin]

RIP Alice


It's always sad when we lose one of our feathered friends.

[SusieG]

Poor Alice ..... Think how happy you made her though - better that than her previous existence ...

I loved 'my girls', but they kept wandering off away up the road in the village: there'd often be a knock on my door telling me they'd been spotted somewhere they shouldn't be .... Tried to keep them as free-range as possible, but wasn't working out. Happily, they have gone back to their Mum who is lovely - she owns a wonderful field - a proper menagerie. One of my girls (Amy) is a surrogate mum to 3 baby DUCKLINGS! Proper cute.!!

Hope that's made you smile ...

[mothhawk]

It's sad, Verinda, but don't dwell on how she met her end, remember instead that you gave her 3 extra years of happy life.

And to be truthful, I think being killed by a fox was a far less stressful end for her, probably unexpected and fairly instant, than the way hens are slaughtered at the chicken factory.

[muddled]

aww I'm sorry for you verinda...and poor old Alice.

You gave her a much more natural life and the price it seems, was a more natural death!
Chooks (especially battery farmed ones) can die of some truly horrendous ailments and usually when the vet is shut.

Trust me on this, there were worse ways to go.
I'm certain, if she could have made a choice, 3 three years with the sun on her back then a swift end would have been top of her list x

[Verinda]

Yes I have been thinking this too. Two of my exbatts had horrible deaths, really upsetting for them and me, I guess it was pretty quick for Alice and more natural. It is some consolation although I will really miss her, she was quite a reassuring presence to have around.

Susie your hens are beautiful, really fab photos which did make me smile, thank you

Thank you everyone your support and comments are amazing and have helped a lot xxx