Well, we have worked out the culprits for our lost birds. We first though foxes or wild dogs, but the signs were wrong. No carcass was left, just a huge amount of feathers where we lost the 2 Faverolles girls. When DH came home the other evening he saw 2 massive birds of prey, most likely eagles with a wing span of over 2 metres. So we immediately suspected them, the next day it was confirmed when I saw them and noticed that one dropped something. I went to check it and found it was one of our Faverolles boy, the big one we were planning to be the next rooster when he grew up. He was quite big already at 3 months, about the size of an ISA brown. We thought they would be too big to take, but in the claws of an eagle they look so small.

So our plans have changed, we were originally going to let them free range during the day and have specific runs for when we need to isolate for breeding, but now we will need to build a massive enclosure that is fully netted.

Will be keeping them all locked up for a couple of days in the hope the eagles move on. 3 were hiding under the house last night and I have managed to catch 2. 1 boy is still wandering around outside and I just can't catch him.