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Australia
I ran away from teaching to the country to grow veggies. There are also some chooks and a pair of troublesome goats who were so much trouble they had to go! My simple green life isn't always as simple or as green as I'd like...but I keep trying!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Vale Brewster and girls.

Brewster,
Vera 
and Irene.














BLOODY FOX!

The moral of the story,
Never, never, ever
leave the coop open...
even if you are tired and it is cold 
when you come home 
 after dark.

It is also bad to give your chooks
the same names as your sisters.
Writing the parting blog post
is bad enough without that.

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36 comments:

  1. Veggie GnomeMay 18, 2011 at 11:17 AM

    Bummer! That's awful! Poor things. And poor you!

    We've had a big fox problem this summer (the foxes came in the middle of the day!) and I felt nauseous after every loss of chook.

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  2. becky3086May 18, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    Sorry about your fox problem. I saw ours run across the yard this morning when I drove up. I was so glad that Phil had helped me get those last two ducks in last night. Lately I have been just leaving them out because I don't feel well enough to chase them around.

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  3. PhoebeMay 18, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    OH NO HAZEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I hope you are ok! sending through electonic hugs.

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  4. Linda WoodrowMay 18, 2011 at 11:34 AM

    So so sad. Keeping my chooks safe from predators has been a reall challenge the last few years.Last year after a carpet snake got my last chook, for the first time in my adult life I gave up on trying while I rethought the system. I can’t bear keeping chooks in a bare, fortified run, and we go away for weekends sometimes, so I wanted a system where they could put themselves to bed.

    This is the new system I have fairly canny, flighty bantam chooks, and rotate them around my netted garden beds, so they always have greens and new ground to pick over for insects etc (and they fertilize and clear at the same time.) They have a roost that they can fly up to but a fox or snake can’t climb - chooks can fly, higher in a single bound than foxes can leap or snakes can rear. It’s worked so far. Fingers crossed.

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  5. AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 11:50 AM

    Oh! That's awful! So sorry to hear about beautiful brewster and two of his girls.

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  6. veggiegobblerMay 18, 2011 at 11:52 AM

    Oh Hazel you poor thing. Hugs.

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  7. Katie MMay 18, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    So sorry to read this Hazel :(

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  8. VonMay 18, 2011 at 12:48 PM

    So sorry but you've discovered the golden rule.

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  9. Jan BlawatMay 18, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    I know this story well, but we don't have fox, we have raccoons. So sorry.

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  10. humble habitMay 18, 2011 at 1:26 PM

    Ohh that's sad, I hate learning things the hard way.

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  11. humble habitMay 18, 2011 at 1:26 PM

    Ohh that's sad, I hate learning things the hard way.

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  12. LashyLashlaMay 18, 2011 at 1:29 PM

    oh no! poor things... and yes, BLOODY FOX INDEED!

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  13. Enchanted MomentsMay 18, 2011 at 1:40 PM

    Hazel..! those gorgeous girls and boy...Im very sad to read this, very....
    I cant believe it, just as they were starting to lay...goodness me...

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  14. Gooseberry JamMay 18, 2011 at 1:59 PM

    Oh dear Hazel, Very sorry to hear about your loss, It does stand for a good reminder to keep the coop locked at night, I must do more of this...

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  15. GingerMay 18, 2011 at 2:35 PM

    That's very sad. I like the way you've kept some feathers. A nice memorial.

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  16. duchess_declutterMay 18, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Oh No Hazel! That is so sad - I was becoming quite fond of Brewster and his habits..... and to lose the girls as well. We've been there done that too and it's a hard way to learn the lesson. cheers Wendy

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  17. RoseMay 18, 2011 at 4:02 PM

    Bugger. I am sorry Hazel.

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  18. SusanMay 18, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    Dear Hazel, I'm so terribly sorry for what has happened. Your love for your chookies just shone through in every one of your posts.
    Sending the warmest of thoughts your way. Susan xx

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  19. JOCMay 18, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    Bloody fox indeed! I have lost one chook so I can only imagine how I woud feel losing all the flock! My white chook Patsy (Ab Fab fame) had just started laying too.
    Best of luck with your next lot of "girls".
    I'm glad we haven't seen any foxes down our way - yet.

    Jan

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  20. mashellyMay 18, 2011 at 5:03 PM

    bugger

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  21. DaffodilMay 18, 2011 at 5:09 PM

    Oh Hazel! I am SO SORRY!!!!

    We have a large fully enclosed run that is strung with electric fencing and a large attached run that also has electric fencing. We had a predator come in take alot of our girls one afternoon and the following day we went crazy with bare fencing wire hooked up to our electric fence unit.

    The following afternoon we heard a yelp and flurry of colour exiting the property in quite a hurry. We haven´t had a problem since.

    The girls and guys are still left to free range most days of the week and after they return to their coops, the electricity is turned back on. When they are in the run the electricity is always on.

    I guess there are less painful pickings out there for foxes than taking on our system.

    Vale Brewster, Vera and Irene.

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  22. AliMay 18, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    Oh Hazel I'm so so sorry. What an awful thing to have happened to you and your lovely, lovely ladies, and the handsome, handsome Brewster. It is true, your love for your brood really did show through in your posts, and you must be really very upset.

    I'm so sorry.

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  23. JudithMay 18, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    Oh dear that is a shame. Have you got room for an alpaca because foxes are scared of them. We know people who use alpacas to protect their newborn sheep.

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  24. My Veggie GardenMay 18, 2011 at 7:05 PM

    Bloody poms. Right up there in the top ten of dumb ideas was the release of the fox into Australia.

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  25. AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 7:09 PM

    Oh noooooooooooooo - thats awful! Its horrible! Its so hard to get home before dark this time of the year. I hope the fox has a belly ache! Bloody fox!

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  26. AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 7:32 PM

    I am so sorry that I was rude about Brewsters talons and spikes last post - I really did admire that beautiful proud rooster! R.I.P. Brewster

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  27. Martin and AmyMay 18, 2011 at 7:40 PM

    So sorry to hear about this.

    Don't let it put you off chook keeping though!!

    Martin :)

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  28. dixiebelleMay 18, 2011 at 8:55 PM

    Oh no!

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  29. cookieMay 18, 2011 at 10:10 PM

    Oh no!! that is so sad.

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  30. KatMay 18, 2011 at 11:09 PM

    Oh Hazel, I would be devastated, I can only imagine. I know they only do what comes natural to them but I hope mr fox gets what's coming to him sooner rather than later. x.

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  31. Jan BlawatMay 19, 2011 at 4:50 AM

    The only thing I ever got with my electric fencing was myself. Raccoons either crawled under it or jumped over it. I'm much stupider, once I even grabbed it to see if it was on. That was a shock. Hope your fox-proofing efforts go well.

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  32. MoMay 19, 2011 at 5:37 AM

    So sorry for your loss, Hazel.
    Mo

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  33. Staci@LifeAtCobbleHillFarmMay 19, 2011 at 7:49 AM

    Hazel I am so sorry to read this.
    Staci

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  34. cathy@homeMay 19, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    Wow that is so sad

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  35. littlekarstarMay 19, 2011 at 7:16 PM

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

    Awwww Hazel :'(

    HUGE HUGGLES xoxo

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  36. littlekarstarMay 19, 2011 at 7:16 PM

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

    Awwww Hazel :'(

    HUGE HUGGLES xoxo

    ReplyDelete

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