Fox

[morph]

Tell me about it Richard - I have 4 cats and they regularly bring in their catches of the day.
Again, it's a fact of life, and I don't punish them for their instincts, but if the animal is virtually unharmed (as suprisingly they are even though being rollercoastered in their smelly mouth!!!) and I can distract them with a treat and free the animal, then I do

[melons]

Aww Willow, what a sad sad shame, this is the bit I'm just dreading, loosing a hen, to anything, you just get so attached :cry: You've had some rotten stinking luck :(
Try & keep your chin up & like you say, maybe they'll just have to stay in more, but you do have a "massive run", so if you do get ex-batts next as you were thinking, they'll think of that as masses of acreage

mel

[chucky egg]

Helo Willow
Remember you can "only do your best" and it sounds like you did. No one is perfect.
I've lost a few chucks (unwanteds with baggage etc) and lot of animals (tend to take on the more mature ones cus other people won't). It doesn't get any easier as all of us know but at least you've had the pleasure of knowing them and sharing part of your life with them That is in itself priceless.
Carry on with your plans, hon. You sound like you really care. One 'mistake' does not make you a bad keeper.
Wendy (Chucky Egg)