Aylesbury Drake plus chickens fox attack

[jmt001]

I am in desparate need of some advice regarding my flock. I had 2 aylesbury drakes and 4 chickens and a fox came a few days ago and sadly killed Horatio my ISA, he took Raven my little bantam and wounded one of my Aylesburys who sadly died at the vet this morning.

Now before this, i was pondering whether to rehome them as I didnt quite realise how big they would get and they are in with the chickens they are all about 4-5 months old so they have grown up together although now they are maturing one of the drakes has taken a bit of a fancy to my head chicken Stella who is a Sussex.

Anyway, now this has happened and i'm absolutely devastated. Not only has my flock halved but now my poor boy has lost his brother and i would soooo appreciate some advice on what to do. I dont want to put human emotions into him i want to think of what would make him happy. I obviously cant let him stay on his own my options are to either get him a female duck as company or go ahead with my original option of rehoming him but what i'm in a quandry about is would it make it worse for him now he has no brother and he is being ripped from the only home and company he knows which are the chickens. but is that me just putting human emotions on him?

They are/were so wonderful to have the way they swaggered round the garden and shouted at me its bad enough that i wont see my two chickens little faces every day and the thought of letting him go but I just want him to be happy and would he be happier with a group of ducks and drakes with females and a pond?

Sorry to blather on but any advice i would greatly greatly appreciate.

Thank you

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi ,Sad news again on the forum , I think he can survive with his friends but ,probably better with other ducks . More advise will come , Where do you live . If it was not far off , I have rescued 2 female ducks and I could ask if the farm lady would have a drake as well .
But Wait for advise from others and then make mind up to best course of action .
We all put the human touch to pets , but Flock birds stick together .
Bob

[KarenE]

Hi

I'm sorry you're joining under such sad circumstances.

I don't know about ducks but I would think he'd prefer a duck friend but is at least in his familiar surroundings with your remaining hens.

An alternative would be for you to rehome more yourself if that is an option? Perhaps get him another friend and think about getting another 2 chickens too unless you're deciding to give up (I hope not, it sounds like you love your flocks) - best to have more than 2 in case anything happens to one, then you won't have a lonely hen (or duck for that matter)

Do you know how the fox got in? Are they in a secure area or free ranging? Have a check around and see where security can be tightened. The fox may be back.

And keep an eye on your gang for shock. That's quite an ordeal they've had - and you, it's one of the things we all dread.

[jmt001]

Hi all thank you for your replies.

Bob - I live in London. I dont think I can bring myself to rehome him. I love him too much and he knows me and comes up to me he wont go near anyone else. I will need to work on my partner as he thinks it would be better for Ronnie to be in a sanctuary but I want to keep him and get him a lady duck. I dont think we can have more than one extra duck as my garden is very small.

I'm so sad to say that it's my fault - they have a coop and run which is based on top of concrete so the foxes cannot get inside when they are in their coop / run but we let them out to free range when we are home and in the kitchen to keep an eye on them and I went to the shops and they were kicking up such a fuss not to go back in i thought oh they will be alright for 15 minutes and the foxes must have been lying in wait so its my fault which i have to live with. according to my neighbour the fox comes nearly every night and slopes round and round the coop. Should I maybe cover it at night so they feel safer? Fox definitely cannot get in i check it every day to make sure there are no potential breaches and the fox cannot dig under concrete.

Im definitely getting two more chickens my two bantams were inseparable and now one of them has gone - she used to sit on my shoulder for a walk round the garden its just so sad.

I would like to get a couple of rescue / unwanted hens or a battery hen and a bantam if anybody knows of any websites or sanctuaries or something... I can look on anyway.

Thank you both for your kind words and advice.

Do hens get lonely? Stella is still laying which i'm surprised about. She was a bit of a lone chicken anyway its the bantam i feel most sorry for she was always by the side of her sister, perhaps because they were the lowest on the pecking order poor little mites.

[Mo]

Poor you, and yes it was a shock for the rest of the flock. for a few days she will continue to lay as the eggs are already on the conveyor belt. But don't be surprised if the shells aren't the usual thickness, or other oddities. then there may be a little pause.
It only takes a moment, doesn't it (as many of us have found - late locking up etc)

[jmt001]

Ohh OK i thought it was just 24 hours in advance. Poor Stella. I am giving them all extra grapes and peas at the moment to make up for it and letting them come into the kitchen they like to try and raid the cat's food its an obsession with them.

I will have to live with my decision to leave them out and it will haunt me for a long long time. I adored my flock they wrapped their wings round my heart. I hope they are not traumatised for too long. They are all sticking together at the moment which is also heartbreaking as the normal status quo is the ducks together, the banties together with Stella and Horatio not tooo far apart.

[Bluefinch]

So sorry to read about your fox attack - how sad. Hope you can find another duck soon.

[KarenE]

It's a mistake all of us have made at some time and no doubt will again. Sometimes you just get really unlucky and this was one of those times. At least now you know you need to be even more vigilant, especially with winter drawing in and food becoming scarcer for the foxes. I take it your coop and run is well roofed as well, and any egg compartments that are accessed from outside are well secured too?

I'm not sure covering the coop and run will help much (assuming you mean with a tarp or something - it should be covered with wire and roofing to keep the foxes from climbing over it) as they will probably not see the foxes when they are in the coop. Did your neighbour say the foxes were around when the flock is out in the run?

As for rehoming - check the forum here, and the facebook site as well as often people post looking for homes. Also check out Fresh Start for Hens http://www.fsfh.org.uk/ and the British Hen Welfare Trust http://www.bhwt.org.uk/ - they rehome battery hens but won't do bantams or ducks. FSFH have no collections planned, BHWT have some but I couldn't see London listed.

Some local animal rescue charities might be able to help too if there are any nearby. The RSPCA has some listed (including a male duck) but not sure if they are near you:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet?p_p_id ... mitSetHere

Try our forum and facebook page though

[jmt001]

Their coop and their run has a concrete base and the coop is built from panels which have that galvanised wire all round, with aviary panels on the roof then covered with that wavy plastic roofing i cant remember what it's called. The coop is purpose built so has one of those really heavy roofs and also galvanised wire - i meant covering it at night with a tarp so they cant see the fox but yes you are right - they wont see it when they are in the coop. My duck sleeps in the bit underneath the nest box (inside the coop) so perhaps i should get him a little duck house.

No - the foxes lurk in the evening mainly he sees them when he gets in from work.

Im registering on the battery hen site so i hope i get a chance to rehome one and going to try and find an unwanted bantam as a partner for my bantam Elvis and then its just to find a lady duck for Ronnie. I dont think I will be able to bring myself to part with him.

[KarenE]

Honestly, I would be the same - I couldn't part with them and it sounds like all is well secured so really there's no need if you don't have to.

I would definitely post something on the DTL facebook site - the forum is quiet at the moment but the dtl fb site is well busy so I bet you will have some joy there.

Good luck finding your new girls

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi, The 2 female ducks I picked up last weekend would have been ideal for you .
If you have no luck ,I will have a chat with the farm lady who has the girls and see if she wants to keep them and not got to attached to them.Also I had 3 chickens -1 silkie bantum , 1 ranger with damaged feet and one black Moe who has darl legs ,long legs and can use them well.
I do not want to up root them again as they are just getting used to me .
Just drop a note on my diary page and I will see what I can do . I was at the vets and 3 chickens where up for grabs ,but did not push for them as pretty full now.
Bob

[jmt001]

OK thanks Bob - the guy at my pet shop - his dad is getting to ill to look after his chickens so i will probably take on a couple of those. I dont know what to do re Ronnie yet i am going to need a bigger coop and run first I think.... But i will bear it all in mind and let you know
All the best - and you really do wonderful work i am in awe :-)
Jules