Less feathers in the nest....

Feathering the nest is not going as planned. I was warned that foxes are active during the day but didn't believe it and thought I was doing the chooks a favour by letting them loose to scratch around in the afternoon. Mr Fox was watching though and as soon as I was out of sight he pounced. I proudly took my brother and his wife to show them the chooks and noticed only one was pecking around....and my sister in law asked what was wrong with it. That's when I noticed all her tail feathers were missing and she was bleeding. I thought she was going to die...actually worse than that I thought I was going to have to do a Gourmet Farmer and put her down...but as circumstances have it the chook is a fighter and...although she is depressed....she is alive. She is saying "bock bock" and eating and drinking and moving around...but won't come down off the perch in the dark room of the chook house. Tomorrow I might move her to the vegie patch for some rehab.....

The ducks are still alive and they free range all day. I'm not sure if they appeal to Foxes. I guess time will tell.