- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 8:57 PM
- Messages
- 21,002
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
So my plans for today went out of the window last night at lock-up. Fox attack.
It was a complete surprise to me when I took a casual glance out of the window to see where the chooks were in their way to bed. I spotted a mass of feathers and know instantly what had happened but there was no warning calls from them at all which usually there is and I hear.
One of the chooks was on the ground in amongst all of the feathers that were her's. Amazingly she was alive but just lying there. I immediately scooped her up holding her and realising how heavy she has become.
Looking around chooks were scattered everywhere and, yep there was a fox. Totally unafraid of me.
I rounded up last year's chicks who were scattered everywhere and too afraid to go into the chook house. I did manage to get them in and locked them in with the other 6 that were in there, then started looking for the others.
I found 1 injured who had buried herself into a big wood pile. She'd not have survived the night there. I got her out quite easily. Her injuries don't appear to be fatal thankfully but she's now laying the most expensive eggs!
I found the body of another inside the electric fence area so suspect that the fox went in the way the chooks go in and out and hence why they were so afraid of going back in to the chook house.
We've located a mass of feathers for another missing chook so I'm certain she's dead. But we're missing even a single feather for another...
So this morning I was surprised to see both injured chooks had lived through the night. I was expecting one of them to have died but she hadn't and even accepted water and then took it of her own accord. That's Mrs Yeti. She may yet die, but she's been to the vets and has pain relief and will get more and antibiotics when I get home.
Harriet is the one that tried hiding in the wood pile. She's needed surgery but the fact that she could even have it is a good indicator that she'll pull through if we can keep her free from infection. So I have at least 1 chook living in the house with me for the next few weeks and this evening will be spent making chicken nappies for her!
Right, off to the vets to pick her up.
It was a complete surprise to me when I took a casual glance out of the window to see where the chooks were in their way to bed. I spotted a mass of feathers and know instantly what had happened but there was no warning calls from them at all which usually there is and I hear.
One of the chooks was on the ground in amongst all of the feathers that were her's. Amazingly she was alive but just lying there. I immediately scooped her up holding her and realising how heavy she has become.
Looking around chooks were scattered everywhere and, yep there was a fox. Totally unafraid of me.
I rounded up last year's chicks who were scattered everywhere and too afraid to go into the chook house. I did manage to get them in and locked them in with the other 6 that were in there, then started looking for the others.
I found 1 injured who had buried herself into a big wood pile. She'd not have survived the night there. I got her out quite easily. Her injuries don't appear to be fatal thankfully but she's now laying the most expensive eggs!
I found the body of another inside the electric fence area so suspect that the fox went in the way the chooks go in and out and hence why they were so afraid of going back in to the chook house.
We've located a mass of feathers for another missing chook so I'm certain she's dead. But we're missing even a single feather for another...
So this morning I was surprised to see both injured chooks had lived through the night. I was expecting one of them to have died but she hadn't and even accepted water and then took it of her own accord. That's Mrs Yeti. She may yet die, but she's been to the vets and has pain relief and will get more and antibiotics when I get home.
Harriet is the one that tried hiding in the wood pile. She's needed surgery but the fact that she could even have it is a good indicator that she'll pull through if we can keep her free from infection. So I have at least 1 chook living in the house with me for the next few weeks and this evening will be spent making chicken nappies for her!
Right, off to the vets to pick her up.