I have to say, the past two weeks have been exhausting. Between COVID and all the protests, I am feeling drained, overwhelmed, angry, sad, frustrated, disillusioned, and altogether raw. It’s a lot. We’re all going through a lot. I have to remind myself to breathe. The more I let my mind wander, the more it drifts into a place that feels unsolvable and paralyzing. And nobody’s got time to be living in a world without hope.

So I hopped on over to my chicken coop last Friday afternoon to spend some time in my happy place. As I’m approaching the fenced in run I only see two chickens.

That immediately set off the alarm in my head.

I quickly scanned to the coop door, which was locked, and then my eyes darted back to the door that opens to the run, also locked. Where are my chickens?

I paused for a second waiting for the other five to pop out of the coop. I wait another second as my mind starts replaying the day before.

When was the last time I let them out to free range? Wednesday. Who else came out to the coop? I don’t know.

I walked to the coop door and unlocked it. There is nothing and no one inside.

I walk to the corner of the chicken yard and see white feathers.

All the pieces click into place… and then they don’t.

For the last two weeks, Cactus has told me he’s seen a fox in the backyard. I thought he must have been staking out our chickens and have been extra careful with them. Only letting them free range for an hour, in the middle of the day, and setting an alarm on my phone. But clearly I messed up and my mistake cost five chickens their lives. I’m so upset and bewildered. So I started doing a lot of research to better understand my enemy.

1. Late spring and early summer is prime fox time.  They’ve had their cubs and need to find food. And with reduced activity due to COVID-19, wildlife is out a lot more brazenly. Be extra vigilant.
2. Secure your perimeter. This will mean many things depending on how your coop and run are set up. Being sure that your fence goes at least 2 feet deep into the ground is essential. It should also be as high as you can make it, preferably 5 feet minimum.
3. Have a dog that is all or part shepherd.  These breeds will have a visible presence on your land and serve as a deterrent to predators who think they have an easy target.
4. Create a system so that you can’t forget when your flock is out of the coop.  Set an alarm, do things in the same order, have some sort of signal so that everyone you live with knows the chickens are out. Everyone should be accountable for their safety, but whoever lets them out should be the person to confirm they are safely back in the coop.
5. Don’t tempt fate. Stay outside and nearby while your chickens are out of the coop if possible. There is a reason for all the adjectives that relate to foxes – sneaky as a fox, sly as a fox, cunning as a fox.  I still can’t figure out how 5 of the chickens were out of the coop and 2 were safely in.  I never separate the flock – they are either all in or all out for free ranging.
6. Be sure you have your closest neighbor’s phone number and they have yours. Let them know to call you if they notice anything unusual related to your flock or coop.

I hope this never happens to you and I am going to do whatever I can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.