Scaring foxes away

This is especially exciting for those of you who are besieged by the nightly prowlings of a wily fox.

Now I don't know that it's all that scientific..and I have tried many things since my old flock got taken.  Getting Mr and Master Bok to pee on the fence.  Putting out bits of hair (I know! Read here).  Randomly pouncing outside in the middle of the night yelling BOO!! just in case a fox was lurking.  And yet...and YET!...there are still signs every night or two of a fox break-in attempt.

Enter Jamie Durie.

Don't go weak ladies.

It's only butterflies...

Of the flickering, glittering, solar powered kind!

I picked up these night lights at Big W.  Because they were sort of cute and I was looking for ways of making our temporary chicken enclosure look more enticing.  Little did I realise that these little babies would twinkle (yes they randomly twinkle off and on) all night long like some kind of wonky fairy landing strip.  SCARING AWAY THE FOXES.  No break in attempts in the last fortnight we've had them in.

$19 well spent I say.

The hens?  Well they have thanked me by going broody.  Joan and Teapot (Hypatia) that is.  Whilst the others pace...up and down, up and down, every time Tim Tam is near by.  He's no fox though.

 In other news.  I didn't make it onto Santa's list AGAIN this year.  I'll have to try harder to be good.

 

p.s. Nope I am in no way affiliated with Jamie Durie (would be fun if I were!) nor Big W. I made an accidental discovery which may or may not work! But hey! It's worth a try.

Devastation - a fox took our flock

Who is Mrs Bok without her Bok Flock?


Not a question I ever thought I'd need to ask myself.

 

As we were leaving Malaysia, my sister rang to tell me that my flock was missing. She had been collecting eggs daily but yesterday she didn’t find the girls to lock them into the coop, she didn’t find them anywhere at all although it was raining heavily. She thought they’d been stolen and reported their disappearance to the police. To the police!! She thought they'd been stolen. She went out in brighter drier daylight next day to find feathers everywhere...which can only mean one thing…a fox had come during the day and carted off my girls one by one, not a single one left nor any bodies either.

 

Now coming home, I've gone into the garden to see the devastation for myself...I've cried my heart out, I can't believe I don't have the flock racing around after me when I step into the storm ravaged garden.   I was so looking forward to seeing them, to having them greet me, to making their hot porridge and to putting their hot water bottle in with them at night as I locked them into their coop.  I see signs of my cherished hens everywhere - where they've eaten all the rainbow chard especially the yellow and pink but have left the green, where they've dug up all of my carefully planted strawberries and where they've eaten all the salads. But I'd have them eat the entire garden if only they'd return.

 
See where they'd eaten all the tender greens and the yellow chard but left the darker chard? Oh hens I'll never scold you again if only you'd come back :(

We have a 6 ft tall smooth bamboo fence that a hox couldn't scrabble over.  But it's clear Fox Loxy got in by jumping the shorter fence between the neighbour and ourselves and running into the long vegie bed along the driveway.

There are no bodies to be found and my sister didn't find any bodies or blood either - but there are lots of feathers in the garden.

I posted about foxes before over here.


And I still admire foxes - they are wily, cunning, but also creatures that are suffering a bitter winter and need to eat.    Perhaps fat fieldmice and rabbits are scarce in the cold.  I choose to believe that it was a Mrs Fox who came and quickly murdered my hens so they felt no pain and took them home to her little foxlets. I choose not to think that it was a greedy Mr Fox who just took as much as he could.  Oh foxy loxy you are wicked indeed.  I hope you gave my girls a painless and quick exit to chooky heaven.

Lots of broccollini went to flower but lots left to eat

Florence fennel got plump indeed

 

A lone fly in freezing melbourne! How did you survive the frost??

 

Camelias flowered whilst we were away

Who am I without my bok flock? Call I still call myself Mrs Bok?  After all I have no flock to be guardian for any longer  :(  Can you believe I've dyed my hair the darkest shade of black in mourning.  I really love my flock.  I hope they are happy up in chooky heaven.    

Laying eggs in odd places

 Picnics on the lawn

Vale my beautiful Bok Flock we really miss you so much

Fantastic Mr Fox

As a hen keeper I am always fearful of a fox managing to find its way into my back yard and getting into the roost.  I've always thought foxes only dare come out at night but I heard sad news from a friend this week who lost 2 of her flock to this fellow - or lass! - who very boldly came during the day whilst the hens were free ranging and ate two of them.

This bold fox returned later to see what else he/she could catch and my awesome friend Mun (who would have the best blog ever if she blogged) caught him/her on film!  Mun - you take brilliant photos, thanks for letting me blog these! 

Here is foxy loxy at the door...just checking out the place...

And here. Waiting to catch more hens.  Poor girls  :(

And here sneaking away...

And here just standing proud and saying hi.

Isn't Fantastic Mr Fox magnificent?  Such a beautiful creature.  I can't help but admire him/her.  We all have to eat..but really can't the foxes make do with plump rabbits and field mice and leave our fluffy knickered girls alone?

Now that I think about it I really do have a thing for foxes. 

one of my favourite books!

one of my favourite dresses

my favourite brooch

Fox tea towel

Now what does that say about me as a hen keeper!!