[Tigerwren]

Our lovely white leghorn did not come home today although our other two girls are fine.  Is it likely that she went to roost somewhere on her own?  Would a fox or a badger have taken one and not the other two?  I am completely gutted at the thought that she is gone.  What do people think?
Also, if she has gone, this will be my second in a month.  I let them free range in the field and lane surrounding our house because that's why I got them so that they could enjoy the frre range life.  Now I'm wondering if that is selfish if I am putting them in danger.  We have two Jack russells so our garden is kind of out of bounds and the fields don't belong to us so fox/badger proofing is a nono - it would have to be a wir.  What do you think?  Do we still allow them to free range if they are going to be in danger?  We have never seen or had any evidence of foxes round us (tho I know they are wiley things and hungry att the minute).  Would a badger come out in the day for food?
Any advice gratefully received. 

[22fox]

check up trees and neighbours? 

[jinty1911]

and under hedges/bushes.  She could be nesting somewhere.  Have read to go out with a torch.  Really hope you find her soon.

[8doubles]

Being white is a definite disadvantage if there are foxes about, albino animals soon get singled out as targets by predators . I do not think a badger would take a free ranging hen , badgers are not very fast and a hen would outrun it no trouble.
A stoat however will take a hen leaving very little evidence .

[Tigerwren]

I have just come back in from looking.  I took my husband's night vision and found her in the drinking trough (for the neighbour's sheep) in the field by the house.  She was dead.  I don't know if she drowned?  Her head isn't wet, although it is at a strange angle.  Could she have perched on the side and fallen in?  Does anyone think that this kind of thing happens - would she not have been able to get out?
Thank you for your messages.  It's such a shame as she was truly a beautiful girl.

[beth123]

I'm really sorry to hear about Alice. X

[8doubles]

I know that a lot of fledgling blackbirds and other species fall into cattle troughs and do not make it back out. A dairy farmer i know used to put a small ramp in to enable them to escape.
Sorry to hear about your hen.

[bantam novice]

  so sorry  to hear about Alice

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

So sorry to hear about Alice.  At least you've found her though so no wondering about where she is.  Hugs from me.

[Tigerwren]

Thanks to you all for your messages.  I will put a ramp in myself to stop this happening again.
I can't bear to think of her struggling to get out and can only hope it was quick.  She might have gone into shock with the cold water and not suffered too long. At least I am trying to tell myself that.
Thanks again  

[alisonwo]

Oh I am so sorry TigerWren what a dreadful thing to happen to Alice.  We had a similar situation with a happier ending though, a few weeks back whilst cleaning out the pen I heard an unusually loud sqwuark and turning round spotted my white hen slowing sinking in the garden pond.  We have had the girls for 2 years now and never had this problem before,  she wasn't struggling it was most strange just slowly sinking as her feathers got water logged.  I shot over and grabbed her out, brought her into the kitchen and having rubbed her with a towel dried her off with the hair dryer, she never moved just stood there looking at me,  I kept her in the warm room for a few hours then put her back in the pen, she was fine the next day.  So I think you were right, your little Alice would have gone into shock and not felt much. Heartbreaking though I know.

[orchardlady]

Water can be so dangerous. My neighbour had one of those 18 foot wide above ground paddling pools. My young cat came home very very wet one day. My neighbour commented a day later how all of a sudden she seemed to have hundreds of slow punctures on the blow up ring on her paddling pool. We worked out that the cat had got into the pool and probably spent a lot of time swimming and panicking to get out finding it very hard to pull her body weight up the side with no purchase for her back feet. I bought a puncture repair kit as an apology and my neighbour now keeps the cover on her pool.
I'm so sorry about your little hen but as suggested she probably gave up very quickly as her feathers became waterlogged.

OL

[Tigerwren]

Thank you Alison and OL, it does help to think that she didn't struggle for too long.  It feels strange today not to see her on the lane (you can always see her first as she is /was so white) and not to have our white egg as she was such a fab layer with big white eggs.  OH and I had to have a long chat last night about whether keeping chickens was the right thing for us.  He thought it wasn't right to be so upset about losing one, especially as we only got them in late oct/nov but I love my girls even though it really is heartbreaking when tragedy strikes!  The joy does outweigh the pain in the end!! Thank you for your reassurances!

[jinty1911]

I am so so sorry to hear your bad news.