You know how some people say to “leave it on the field” or “leave it on the dance floor?” My chicken left it “in the yard.” Her chicken butt, that is.
If you’ve never been awakened by a screaming 13 yr old at 5:30 AM, “A fox is killing the chickens!” You haven’t lived. That’s an adrenaline rush.
Wait, he started with, “Mama, Papa, I need your help!!!” We imagined burglars, children not breathing, and head wounds. Nope. It was a fox.
Which, once we regrouped, was important. But, an open door and a light in the kitchen discouraged the bad guy.
Of course, I’m pretty soulless, “How many chickens do we have left? Anyone remember me saying that we HAD to lock the hen house?” Yep. I totally lead with, “I TOLD YOU SO.”
Just FYI, this chicken lived. The one from a week ago didn’t. 🙁
Anyway, I have one lesson to share, which I have shared over and over. A free-range chicken is a DEAD chicken. Always has been true, always will be. They are delicious. The universe knows it’s true.
In hobby farming, everything is fine until the predators realize you have KFC in the backyard. It happened with squash; it happened with chickens; it happened with the goats. Years without parasites or predators, but once they find you…all that organic, I-don’t-need-your-unnatural-fences-and-worm-meds-and-chemicals is finished.
I bet y’all will not have an open gate ever again. Hard lesson learned.
Here in my neighborhood we do have foxes, also raccoons, and possums. But the biggest threat to my girls are roaming neighborhood dogs. Several months ago I lost all but one hen to some dogs who were so malnourished, that they didn’t just kill my birds, they ate them entirely except for the feathers.
These particular dogs were being used by drug manufacturers to generate money for supplies. These were worn out, puppy mill pit bull and pit bull mixed dogs. I trapped them and called the pound who, unfortunately, had to put them down. The whole experience made me angry, sad, and disappointed. These dogs were so pitiful and I was tempted to keep the worst of the lot, but I just wasn’t able to.
I am glad to hear the Fox didn’t take too big of a toll on your flock.
Take care,
Debbie