Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: danfinn1 on January 05, 2019, 20:51
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Lost this afternoon to the fox :(. I think she was just 5 years old and still giving the odd egg. Pecky the speckled is moulting, and Babs the barred rock is laying ok. A couple of days ago we had 2 eggs so I guess this was her last. She was the boss of the coop so the pecking order will now change.
I heard the hens shouting, went to the conservatory door and then saw the fox right outside with its mouth round Hens neck. I opened the door, fox panicked and ran. I picked hen up, who was still alive but had blood on her feathers. I took her in my arms and chased off the fox, as the 2 dotties were still loose in the garden hiding in the hedge. Once the fox had gone I carried Hen back to the conservatory. On the way back she struggled in my arms then died. Very sad, a prolific layer. We had had her 14/05/14 pol, so I guessed she was just 5. Usually I invite my hens inside late afternoon as I know it is danger time, but Pecky would not come in, so I let the other 2 back out. Will not make that mistake again. If I am busy then they come in, like it or not.
I will bury Hen tomorrow under a paving slab, like I did with Sandy and Beryl. That fox will not get a chicken dinner!
Not sure if I will get another one, if I do then it will be a Speckled or Barred Rock. Hen was a Columbian Blacktail so her golden plumage stood out well in the garden, whereas you have to look hard to see the dotties
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That's not funny we had a chicken called Henrietta she was a dark Maran she gave me lovely dark eggs for my breakfast she also had a mate called Fred he had a heart attack after a thunderstorm. I would long for some more, but i don't think so :nowink: