A Fox Visits

Black Australorp Hen pecking

MOST MORNINGS, I LET the chickens out after breakfast, but on Sunday I did something different.  I let the chickens out early, before we went to Nippers at Bar Beach.  So they were scratching around outside before 8am.

Sunday was an overcast day, grey skies lingering until late afternoon and some decent showers before sunset.  I worked inside all day, barely going out except to have a stretch at lunchtime.  I did notice some kerfuffle with the chickens early in the day, with some clucking and squwarking, but then that was sort of usual after one had laid an egg.  It wasn't until late afternoon when I noticed old Rosie clucking around at the back steps by herself, that I gulped and felt a squirt of adrenalin - where were the other birds?  Nervous it wasn't a red fox. 


I grabbed my daughter and we trudged down the backyard.  Just one other bird.  10 gone.  It was obviously a fox.   We walked all around the property and along through the bush - all we found were a couple of wispy feather rings and one cold corpse with the head missing.

So long chichens - is always sad to lose a brilliant egg team.  And we had just been sharing a dozen eggs every few days with our friends.