I have just had what I can only described as a most horrible experience. I have kept hens on my allotment for four years now and in that time have never suffered anything like the last couple of days, I have had two fox attacks resulting in losing 9 hens, 5 on the first night and 4 on the second night, I know what you are going to say how did I let it get in a second time, the first time was bad enough it left 4 dead hens in the run and made off with one, when I checked the run I found a hole had been dug at the very back of the run, unbeknown to me I had left 10 inch gap in the weldmesh that I had dug down into the ground to stop this from happening, it had dug at an angle to come in under some paving flags to gain entrance and then reeked havoc,
I was gutted to say the least, then I made good everywhere or so I thought because the next day it happened again, this time It took 2 more hens leaving 2 behind, I checked the run 2 or 3 three times but could not find were it had gained entrance in fact I thought I was going nut's.
The next couple of days I kept them locked in the coup overnight and would let them out in the morning which stopped the attacks thankfully.
I have been going early to my allotment to open up the coup, being early it is very quite & peaceful and nobody is around, As I was walking up the pathway to my allotment I spotted the Fox well not one but Two of them, resulting in very mixed emotions as they looked fit and healthy as they would because they have been dinning out on my chickens.
After this I thought I am going to have to find the second entrance point, I know this going to sound terrible but as much as I like my allotment I could do without making twice daily trips to check my birds.
So after what seemed as forever we found it, The was a hole in the roof, the only reason that I can come up with is that we have had some really bad winds of late and I think the roof lining was damaged, this damage could not have been a better place for them, right above the coop so they just dropped on to the roof and down into the hens and then back out after they killed the hens, this second exit was easier for it / them to remove the birds.
I found all of this very hard to take but I do not hate the fox, so clever and so bloody sneaky, a costly and painful experience that I do not want to go through again
Regards
Kevin
