[argylepete]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and a sad one at that.
I woke up this morning to find my adorable hens scattered over the garden following an attack last evening. I live in the centre of Plymouth in a fairly built up area. My hens were well fenced in with chicken wire, plus a solid wooden fence to one side. Looks like part of the fence has been pushed to one side, so im not thinking its a cat. I hate to add but some of the hens are headless. Any clues to what caused this I would really appreciate.
Pete   

[New shoot]

It sounds like a fox attack to me Pete.  Really sorry you lost your hens this way.  It must have been really upsetting to find that 

[argylepete]

Thanks for the reply. Just the news I was hoping not to hear really if im honest. Would a fox spread the dead chickens across 3 gardens ? Also I could only find 3 of the 5.
Pete

[New shoot]

Yes a fox would I'm afraid     Not much consolation I know, but they cannot really help themselves when presented with so much food.  They kill everything they can and then go on a mad hide and bury mission with as much as they can.  They often end up running out of time and leaving hens strewn everywhere.

It might be worth reinforcing the bottom sections of your run with weld mesh, as foxes will keep coming back once they have had a success.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it really does sound like a fox attack now.

[argylepete]

Anyone know how long they will keep returning for ?
Pete

[snowdrops]

This must have been so horrible for you to discover, my sympathies are with you.
When i first had chickens & that was long before back garden chickens was as popular as it is now(this time round) I could only find anything out about keeping them in books from the library. I read then & it has stuck with me, a fox just needs to get lucky once, a Chicken keeper has to get lucky every night (and day with urban foxes).
I think the fox will check every night & maybe more than once as it does it’s rounds. Male urine is supposed to deter them but personally I wouldn’t rely on that. I’d take this opportunity to make a secure run with weld mesh as Newshoot suggests.

[mrs bouquet]

Hi Pete, sorry to hear your distressing news, what a horrible thing to find.  But this site will always give you sound advice.   Good luck,  Mrs Bouquet

[8doubles]

Foxes will be cubbing now so the parents will be bolder with a family to feed .

[nerdle]

Chicken wire keeps hens in but not foxes out.  Needs to be weldmesh 8ft high and a weldmsh skirt along the ground or buried into the ground (Omlet run has a skirt).

[Ema]

Very sorry to hear this Pete it must have been a horrible site. I have seen a lot of foxes this spring in Devon. I'm locking my girls in their coop each night which is a pain but worth it.