A DEVASTATED north Ceredigion farmer has been left “gutted” after what he believes were foxes killed dozens of his chickens.

Phil Turner-Wright of Bryn Dderwen farm, Dolybont, woke up on the morning of Wednesday, 23 May, to find the bodies of 15 of his Black Rock chickens “scattered around” the yard, with another nine chickens missing.

Mr Turner-Wright’s brood of chickens, which produced around 33 eggs a day for his market garden and farm business, was left decimated after the early morning attack, leaving only 12.

He has since replaced the chickens at the cost of hundreds of pounds.

He believes foxes broke into the hut where the chickens are housed on the farm at around 3.30am, and Mr Turner-Wright said he was “gutted”.

“To wake up to that was horrible,” said Mr Turner-Wright, who was also worried about his lambs when a lynx escaped from the zoo in Borth last year.

“I was absolutely gutted. It’s the first time it has happened here, I am usually so careful with the locks and security. The hut was in a hell of a state, it was devastating.”