Mr Fox comes calling

Last thing I do every morning before heading off for work is to go out back and feed the chickens and to my horror this morning I found carnage in the chicken run.  We had been visited by Mr Fox in the night, no doubt looking for takeout for his new family of cubs and came across the Grebes Rest Hen Hangout.  He ordered 4 plump hens to go, tried two and eventually left with two.  So I have the grand total of zilch hens now.  Just when the poor old girls had grown back their moulted feathers and had started laying again.  I keep my hens in a secure run but never actually locked them up in their house.  The picture below shows them in happier times with temporary fencing in the summer when I let them on the grass but this time of year they are permanently enclosed in their run.  I think this fox must like swimming and be an expert climber as we are enclosed on three sides by river and the sides of the run are at least 6 foot high.

Just recently I have been on a chicken knitting frenzy as well.  I made a batch of Spring Chickens designed by Bluesocks Designs over on Ravelry.  They are a really quick knit and easy to put together.

Also I have whipped up a flock of these adorable Easter Egg Cozies found on Delights Gems Blog.  Not only is the pattern available to knit, there is also a crochet version too.  Although I prefer to crochet these days (due to RSI in my hands) I like the knitted version better and can easily sit and do 2 or 3 in a sitting.  Claudia of Delights Gems has very kindly let me sell the finished chickens for my greyhound charity fund raising – Thank you very much Claudia, you are a very generous person, by not only sharing your superb patterns but allowing them to be sold in aid of charity.

So to finish a few photos of some more chickens here at home.  Now off to see if I can get some ex battery hens from Little Hen Rescue