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MaxBaz

Building a run - how high?

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Been reading the Forum over the weekend, and shocked at the poor lady who lost 10 of her chooks and her last ones life hanging by a thread.

 

I thought foxes just patrolled during the night - when the girls are locked up safe and sound in their Eglu.

 

I am planning to put trellis in two areas - one for their winter run - the other for their summer and as the areas are close to my vegetable patch will be nearby pottering about and hope my presence will be enough to keep predators away. Am I being too naive?

 

As the 6 foot trellis is fairly open (to let in light) am putting 2 inch square plastic wire netting behind it to stop them escaping - but the netting is only about 3ft high - is that enough? Should I also put something over the top? We hear the foxes every night, but very very rarely see them during the day.

 

 

Had the girls now 5 days and besides having to crawl into the cube the first two nights to put them to bed (they didn't have a CLUE what to do with the ladder) they are settling in and getting terribly excited when I bring them hot mash at lunch time. I just love the little clucky noises they make, so gentle and soft!!!!

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Hello MAxBaz and welcome to the forum. :D

 

I would think that 3 foot of netting should be enough, but knowing chickens they will find an escape route. Is it large holed trellis?

 

If you are in the garden with them free ranging then I doubt the fox would be so bold, but I believe that Lovemychooks popped in to answer the phone/get a cuppa? and the fox attacking in a couple of minutes :cry::cry: They will wait for any opportunity.

 

Foxes will hunt during the day too, especially at this time of year when they have cubs to feed.

 

Glad that you are enjoying your new girls :D

 

Any other questions, please ask!

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TBH Max...netting will keep the hens in but it won't keep the fox out :?

 

You would need weldmesh to make it fox resistant..

 

Even chicken wire isn't up to the job....their teeth and jaws are so powerful that they can easily bite through it.

 

Absolutely! When a fox got one of my girls, it jumped a 6 foot fence to escape. Ideally a roof is the answer if they have a permanent area to roam in, but I appreciate it isn't practical to move around.

 

I am paranoid about foxes! :oops:

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Deary me, think foxes have just come to the top of the list of No.1 Enemy!!!

 

I'm either going to have to turn my garden into Fort Knox or just always be within inches of the chooks! You say that chickens are escape artists, to be honest I haven't experience much "brain activity" yet (without meaning to be nasty) apart from the girls just beginning to know how to go up and down the ladder.

 

They are just so sweet and gentle and cute though! Little Nan is now much brighter (she has knock-knees and much smaller than the others) and doesn't fall asleep so much or look so miserable.

 

"MaxBaz" are the names of our two dogs - I'm actually female!

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Hello MaxBaz :) .

 

Sadly everyone gets a huge wakeup call when someone has such an awful experience as Lovemychooks :( . I think until something like that happens some of us probably get a bit complacent about foxes (I know I do :? ). I have a very small garden and luckily can see the whole thing (and the wall over which a fox would probably come) from my kitchen and study windows. It would be very hard to keep an eye on your hens if your garden is big.

 

I don't think you could rely on trellis except to keep your girls in (and they will become "brighter" when they get acclimatised :wink: ). The only way to guarantee safety is to be there (although a fox took someone's hens while she was in a polytunnel in the garden :shock: ).

 

You do know about the "natural" fox deterrent method? Get your man to wee regularly in the garden :wink: . Actually, if you have two dogs, that presumably helps too.

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Hello MaxBaz :) .

 

(although a fox took someone's hens while she was in a polytunnel in the garden :shock: ).

:( that was me, fox has taken my girls twice now in broad daylight. It must have watched me go into the poly tunnel which is right alongside the netted off area that the eglu is in] bright sunny Sunday lunch time, within seconds 3 girls were dead & Saffy was injured :evil::evil::evil:

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Dear Anne

 

How awful to lose three when you are literally just there with them! I'm not planning on letting the girls out for the first time until Thursday afternoon - I read somewhere that the first time they go "free range" to do it about an hour or so before dusk.

 

sorry to ask this, but with all the foxed-chickens that appear to be on so many peoples lawns, what do you do with them? Again, apologies for asking, but I read that you aren't technically supposed to bury them.

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