Hmmm, looks like our chickens have been having an unwanted visitor in the night. The recent covering of snow has preserved the evidence.
There are foxy footprints all over the garden and all over the roof of the chicken house! I'm very glad that we popped the house on a concrete plinth or I might have had an unpleasant discovery this morning!
Poor old Butterscotch looks a little terrorised by the night-time scratchings so she'll be getting some extra corn this afternoon and a few grapes too. Must get round to knitting her a hat – she's still a little bald from her autumn moulting.
little cotton rabbits 
Poor Butterscotch! We just get pussy cats at night, luckily 🙂
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Oh poor chicks. At least you had them all tucked up safe 🙂
A x
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Yikes! I hope Foxy Loxy finds some food somewhere else and doesn’t come back to terrorise poor Butterscotch.
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Poor chooks! Please say you’ll post a photo of Butterscotch plus hat – sounds adorable!
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Funny how foxes can be at once so charming and so deeply terrifying. Makes me yearn for the lion lying down with the lamb moment to come along. I liked the way Annie put it, up above – “tucked up safe.” And isn’t that what we spend nearly all our moments trying to do for everything small and helpless in our care? And even for the big ones who think they’re invincible.
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I’m curious – will a chicken consent to wearing a hat?
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I’m not sure – I’ll let you know 😉
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Aww bless her, thank goodness they’re safe and sound!
I adore foxes, they’re such beautiful creatures (especially yours!)but they can be very cruel.
Looking forward to seeing this hat!! 😉
Vivienne x
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I nearly resorted to knitting one of our chooks a jumper last year as she had a very cold bald bottom all winter and most of this year. I really don’t know how she survived given how cold it was here. She seems a bit more up to speed this year and is nicely growing her fluffy bum feathers but egg laying has been sacrificed instead. Oh well, will have to reluctantly add eggs to the shopping list!
Pen x
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Oh dear – I hope the fox stays away. Two of our chooks are looking very bedraggled at the moment and the nesting box is full of feathers every morning.
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OH NO! I think I sometimes get Mr Fox in my garden during the night too… Now I’ll have to go and find some evidence.
BTW, Flossie needs a hat too!
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Poor chickens! I was once woken in the night to the sound of two foxes mating…I tell you, I’ve never heard anything like it!!!
Andrea x
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My parents get foxes in the garden and have had to put chicken wire above the enclosure too. human urine can deter foxes so you may have to get your hubby to have a little ‘visit’ around the coop!
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Oh dear re foxes. Looking forward to the chicken hat! K x
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Well, that post brought some interesting comments! Yes, I would like to see Miss Chicken in her hat as well. Glad they were safe!
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We lost four chickens years ago to a fox – he left carnage behind. Glad yours are safe. Chicken hats, eh?!
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I have found the footprints outside my chicken run today, I have an electric fence to protect mine, we had 6 taken one night so now we don’t take any chances. Butterscotch should be wearing a burgundy bobble hat to bring out the colour in her eyes its sooooo this year…
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😦 those pesky foxes! Make sure you give her a little cuddle and my chickens love boiled rice as a treat, might take her mind off things 🙂
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Foxes extra hungry in this cold weather. I lost three poor hens this week. What I find really galling is that they’re not eaten, just killed and left lying. Look after your lovely ladies! x
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Oh dear me watch out for foxy gentlemen!
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Yikes! Sounds like that little fox is a little hungry. Lucky, lucky hens!
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Yay for concrete pad! We just got ducks this summer, something bent down their wire fence on one side this fall and I think a stray cat came around since it’s snowed. People have joked with me about knitting the ducks some leggings. A knit hat would be funny too!
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The snow is giving away what those pesky foxes are up to. Hope your chickens keep safe.
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Now that’s an image that will stay with me today. A chicken in a hat. Could be a whole new line of little cotton rabbits (chickens!)
x
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Foxy Loxy had better watch himself, he’s up to no good! Poor chicken girls…..i’d be terrified at night as well. The good thing is they probably have their heads stuffed under their wings to keep their beaks warm and didn’t notice the night time visitor 🙂
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Foxy Loxy had better watch himself, he’s up to no good! Poor chicken girls…..i’d be terrified at night as well. The good thing is they probably have their heads stuffed under their wings to keep their beaks warm and didn’t notice the night time visitor 🙂
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^^ white snow!! cool!! godd week end 😉 kisses
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Ooh, be careful Julie, that’s how our beloved Mrs Nibbles met her end. We went out to the hutch one Sunday morning only to find fur…..
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This is one reason I decided not to have chickens. I already worry about the garden birds, the fish and frogs in the pond, the ducks in the park….
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Oh poor Butterscotch, Julie
Love Carole from Rossendale xxx
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Hope you keep Butterscotch safe. We only have two girlies left, 18 went to Mr & Mrs Fox. Angela
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Lucky Butterscotch… surviving a cold and hungry Mr Fox and getting her very own hat 🙂
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goodness, what alucky escape! Our one and only hen is moulting like mad at the moment, may have to knit her a jumper!
x
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I am so glad you had the foresight to protect the girls before something like this happened. We lost one of our dear little hens to a fox back when we were keeping chickens, it was an extremely sad day for all of us. Here is hoping for a warm safe winter for everyone.
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I am glad that you are taking good care of them. I would not want to be eaten by a wolf. Your post always make me glad I visited you. Keep smiling and enjoy the snow. I live in deep south Texas and we do not get to enjoy the white stuff too often.
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I love your chickens! Hope they have a safe and happy holiday season. What is it about chickens, I wonder, that always makes me smile?
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