Not Foxproof!

So...I went to check the fox trap before bed at 9.00pm and saw two pairs of eyes shining in the torch light from the bush near the 'chook' pen. It seems that we have at least two foxes on the prowl.I was still awake in bed at 11.00 tonight and heard a hen cry out from our 'chook' pen. I was out of bed and dressed in seconds, waking Will in the process. Running up to the pen I heard further commotion and knew that whatever it was was still in there. As I got to the pen and shone the torch in I could see it was a youngish fox up in the coop. I couldn't understand how it got in but kept the light on it as it ran backwards and forwards in the coop as I unhitched the netting from the doorway. Once in I stuck my head in the coop and roared "GET OUT!" at the top of my voice. I was so angry in that moment. The fox completely ignored my instruction and continued to run back and forth at the back of the coop because I was now blocking its exit. It was then that I saw Yudhisthira was dead on the floor and there was also a dead guinea fowl. The fox was out of reach but would have grabbed it if I could.Will arrived a little bewildered as running up to the pen he had been hit full in the face by an escaping guinea fowl.The fox was now cowering in one of the corner nesting boxes. I called to Will to grab it."But it might bite me!" he said. He had already suffered a guinea fowl assault.I have been busy the last few days building a 'holiday pen' for the birds when we go away and had left some stuff outside the pen."There are some gloves out there somewhere put them on."The fox was still in the corner and when he was ready Will lifted the nesting box lid and grabbed the fox. He pinned it's head down and I left the front of the coop to help him. He had his phone in his mouth with the torch light on so I took that out of his mouth and held open the nesting box lid open while he carried the fox out and we put it in the fox trap. It never made a sound. Not even a "Sorry."We went back in to check the birds. As well as the two deaths Pacha was missing and another of the guinea fowl. We hunted round outside but could not find them. We removed the two dead birds and I checked round the pen to try and find how the fox had got in. I found a 6 inch hole in the netting. The flippin' fox had chewed its way in!I sewed the hole up with twine and fastened the door up again. We carried the fox in the trap down to the house. I will post a picture of the prisoner tomorrow."What are we going to do with it?" Asked Will."Could we stick it's head on a spike on the pen to deter other foxes?"I wasn't being serious.No, Will is going to take it tomorrow morning and release it far, far away. It will get away with murder.Poor Yudhisthira! He was sold to us as a hen but turned out to be the best rooster you could ever wish for. He was always watching for danger and finding food for his hens. I got to know all the different calls he made and what they meant just like his flock. He survived his first fox attack last year when the fox that was carrying him off dropped him as I gave chase. We only have Arke left of the original first six.We might eat the guinea fowl but Yudhisthira will be buried with honours in the Pen of the Fallen, alongside Iris, Hecate, Quilla, two of the Mu Sisters and Amé.One fox may be gone by tomorrow but there is another that maybe carried off Pacha and knows it can chew its way in again. Damn! And I thought I'd made the pen foxproof!We go away on Sunday to Canberra for a week with Phoebe and Deranie. I hope my new 'holiday pen' can keep the birds we have left, safe.