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kronkie

foxes and homing

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Hi everybody

I have ordered my eglu a couple of days ago and for the first time in 5 years seen a fox in my back garden last night, I could not believe it, please tell me that the girls will be safe in the eglu.

Another thing that interests me is are the girls homing?I do intend to let them free range during the times I am about but do they have a homing instinct? as I am sure there are holes in my fence that I do not know about with the dreaded fox showing his face last night.

 

cheers

 

kronkie

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Hi everybody

I have ordered my eglu a couple of days ago and for the first time in 5 years seen a fox in my back garden last night, I could not believe it, please tell me that the girls will be safe in the eglu.

 

Hi kronkie - welcome to the forum!

 

Yes, your girls will be safe in the eglu and run, if properly shut in. I think virtually every loss to a fox has been when the hens were free-ranging, or one of the doors (run or egg-port) were left open. I think someone may have had a hen injured when it was right against the wire of the run, and it later died, but that is a very rare occurrence.

 

However if you have seen a fox in the garden, you would be advised to only let your girls out when you can be there in the garden to supervise. Urban foxes are very bold!

 

Another thing that interests me is are the girls homing?I do intend to let them free range during the times I am about but do they have a homing instinct? as I am sure there are holes in my fence that I do not know about with the dreaded fox showing his face last night.

 

I would examine your fence carefully for holes - chickens don't seem to have a very good sense of direction, and need to be able to see their run, or easily wander back to within view of it, or they may get lost (we have had a couple of members find lost chickens in their neighbourhood).

 

Try not to worry too much - chicken-keeping is mostly fun and relaxing!

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urban foxes are a real pain, they don't seem to be afraid of anything, even fox watches only detur them for a short while, yor girls will be safe in the eglu & run if shut in properly but please only let them free range when you can supervise them, I learned to my cost that at this time of year foxes will kill chickens at any time of day even if you are at home

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When we were visited by a fox at nigh the girls were safe in the Eglu but paniced, the noise and flapping concerned me as i was worried about broken wings!

 

I have electric fencing around the Eglu and run, belt and braces but it is working.

 

Doesn't hurt the fox but does send them on their way :twisted: QUICKLY :twisted:

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I live in an area with lots of foxes and ferral cats (not to mention my own murderous kitties) - we currently have rablu with guinea pigs - no problem in the past couple of years as they are always in the run and we ensure it is secured. This has made us confident enough to get cube and run for chickens but I would be wary of freeranging and so intend to build a bigger run and foxproof it so the chickens can freerange (albeit to a lesser extent) but do so safely.

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