Chook woes

This has NOT been a good week for my chooks.

Boxing day public holiday eve we had a fox attack. Lost one Lavendar Aracuna and one Barnvelder got some bites. today DH brings up the white barnie cross and she's not well, looks like her wing was broken. So she's in a crate with some water and apple, and if she's still there in the morning we'll take her to the vets.

With the Aracuna we didn't have a sharp axe to kill her and the vet would charge us $150 to put her down ... got Dad to break her neck, as I still don't have the strength back in my upper body to do it myself. Just as well the axe wasn't sharp, as the Barnie has recovered and I was going to kill her too.

What is it with chooks this week????

Lmao - glad the barney got a stay of execution! Bloody foxes.

I was thinking of buliding a coop on stilts - everyone is banging on about fox attacks down here, do you think that would work?

Poor chooks!

How are they getting into the run?

Poor chooks Kaz! I have 4 new ones, they are laying 3 eggs a day, good girls! They are big brown chooks, not sure on variety but they are laying small eggs?! Do you reckon they'll get bigger?

Stilts won't even keep a sly fox out Lu. You need to build a totally covered coop, top and all with the wire dug into the ground. No little cracks anywhere. They get through the smallest gaps. Check out backyardpoultry for coop designs and tips.

Will do. I need to start collecting materials from the side of the road :p

:) lulu the best time is when everyone put all there junk out pmsl..we do it :)

cooks hun well ive got 2 just red ones and this week only one chook is laying,so if she doesnt lay soon she will find herself in chooky heaven too :) the fox problem im not sure ive been very lucky with ours and ive got them in a big box off the ground but ive found next doors dog in the pen a few times but im to blame cause i put a heap of old scraps with bones and crap out there sooooo my bad .
but all in all i luv the good old chook very friendly follow me everywhere.
good luk hun.

Yay for your survivors Kazbah.
If you lived in Qld, I could hook you up with some replacements. I have about 40 barnevelders ranging from 1 wk to point of lay. Also got silkies, pekins, aracanas, polish and some frizzles LOL.
Chooks are my new addiction......