Poorly chicken

[sandyhas3chucks]

I have been asked to write an article about protecting our chickens.

Does anyone mind if I copy bits out of your experiences.

Or does anyone have agood article that could be used!

You know that sort that talks about no dig fox skirts, slabs. Having locking doors on the wooden ones, you know for poeople that by those with sliding pop holes with no lock, external nest boxes you just lift open for meal!

links to Omlet & chic cubes and any other "safe" coops & runs allowed.

[BillH]

Just read this thread from start to finish; it's very useful. I thought I’d add our story as I think these ‘case studies’ are helpful to new owners. I wish I’d seen this thread before we bought our two hens Buffy (an ISA Warren) and Willow (a Red Ranger) on 1st May 2009.

 

We have an Eglu with the extended run, in a long garden in a large village in a rural area. Our garden has hazel hedging down one side, and mixed trees and bushes down the opposite side (the Eglu boarders this) covering an old 3' chain link fence. Also parts of the garden boundary have 4' and 6' wooden panel fencing. My wife plugged any boundary gaps with chicken wire or sticks, enabling the two hens to range free. After installing the chicken wire and sticks the hens never got out of the garden, but our two cats were not inconvenienced too much by these measures.

 

We often hear foxes barking at night in the street or in adjacent gardens, and occasionally see a fox crossing the lawn during the day (can be any time of day) from one hedge to the other on a well-worn cat path (there are a lot of cats in the neighbourhood). They usually turn to watch us but don't seem too fussed and just carry on their way. On these occasions the hens happened to be in the Eglu run but appeared not to notice the fox, and the fox appeared not to notice them (probably because he was looking towards the house and watching us looking at him). On one occasion last winter, before we got the hens, we saw a fox lying on the gravel path in the vegetable patch at the top of the garden, and he took little notice of us.

 

We used to leave the two hens ranging free in the garden when one or more of our family were in the garden or in the house with the French windows open. At all other times we kept them in the run with the run door shut. We always shut the Eglu door after the hens had entered it to roost for the night. We tried to do it not too long after they went in.

 

This went on for three and a half months without any problems. On 11 August our daughter was minding the house and hens for us. At 2:30 p.m. she was in the garden with the hens and walked down to the house. Buffy was on the lawn near the house and Willow had wandered into the raspberry canes in the vegetable patch at the top of the garden. Suddenly my daughter heard Willow squawking loudly and saw many birds flying off in all directions. She ran back up the garden yelling and clapping her hands as loudly as she could, and Willow shot down the garden and into the kitchen squawking madly, leaving a trail of small feathers in her wake. She took ages to calm down but eventually my daughter was able to have a look at her -- she didn't seem badly injured -- and put her and Buffy back into the run. Buffy was totally unruffled by the whole affair and acted as normal.

 

We arrived home later and saw that Willow was obviously in shock: she would stand for many seconds as if she was thinking. Apart from a few ruffled feathers she didn't look in bad shape, although she did have a slight limp. She laid as usual the next morning. However the limp got worse and she spent more and more time lying in the run; her energy was ebbing. We managed to examine her more closely, and saw the fox had taken a big bite out of her side under a wing, about the size of the base of a mug. I could see a couple of puncture marks, but it looked like the fox had torn a large piece of skin and feathers off her. It didn't smell nice at all. We tried to clean her up with saline solution and took her to the vet, who found that flies had laid eggs in the wound and lots of small maggots had burrowed into the wound and under a piece of bone that had been exposed. By this time she was weak and tired, and we had to put her out of her misery. With hindsight I wish we had taken her to the vet on the day of the attack, and also kept her in a box indoors out of reach of flies. She was such a clever and friendly hen, with loads of personality.

 

After this we confined Buffy to the run for a week (shutting the Eglu door as usual some time after she went in it for the night), and thereafter only let her out under close supervision. Basically we wandered around the garden close to her. I have followed the tip of spreading some male urine around the garden, although the boundary is too big for it to have much effect or be practical.

 

On 28 August we bought Dawn, a 17-week old Columbian Blacktail. Buffy went ballistic for the first couple of days, chasing and pecking Dawn, who hid all the time in the Eglu (although they did roost together without problem at night). The only time Dawn got any peace was if we let them out of the run. I spent a lot of the next three days very close to them as they ranged in the garden, and uncovered insects and dandelion leaves for them. After three days they are now fine together, and Dawn now stays out in the run with Buffy rather than hiding in the Eglu, although she is still wary of Buffy.

 

So what are we doing differently after the fox attack? Well, we'll keep trying the male urine deterrent, but we think the boundary is too big for this to be practical. As a result of reading this thread I used cable ties to secure the joins of the extended run, although we haven't noticed any obvious fox damage to the plastic clips supplied by Omlet. The foxes have easily pushed up the chicken wire in the hedges to get under it. We'll try and make the boundaries more difficult for them, but there are so many other ways they could get into the garden that I don't think this will be much help. The major change is that we will no longer let the hens wander by themselves in the garden. Someone will always be with them. I now usually carry a long stick around when I’m keeping them company. I'm also considering buying the Foxwatch product mentioned by others in this thread; I'd not heard of it before but it looks like it might be useful at night although the risk for us seems to be more during the day when the hens are loose in the garden, not at night when they’re tucked up inside the shut Eglu. But I need to find out first if the Foxwatch device will disturb our cats. Also, as the Eglu and run are next to one of the hedges, I'm going to have to think about whether foxes could tunnel more easily from under the bushes in the hedge into the run.

 

It's very difficult when you have a long garden in a rural location with lots of overhanging trees, wide hedges and fruit bushes providing hide-holes for foxes, who wander through the long adjacent gardens (one of which is a bit of a wilderness) and surrounding untended fields and wooded areas.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, BillH . I'm really sorry to hear about poor Willow . An option many people go for if they're bothered by foxes is a walk in run - either bought or home-made. There are loads of threads about them in the Eglus, Cubes and Runs section.

[sandyhas3chucks]

thank you for adding your story, sorry you lost one so sadly!

The fox watch willnot effect cats. It is meant to effect dogs but I have tested them(I have 2) on approx 30 dogs of dif breeds sexes & ages without exception, "it effects none"

[BillH]

Thank you both for your helpful posts. I think an article giving all the tried and tested tips against fox attack would be very helpful to prospective owners, sandyhas3chucks. We underestimated the determination and cunning of Mr Fox; such an article might make prospective owners of poultry realise what they're up against. "Know thine enemy!"

[siriradha]

Has anyone here reinforced his Eglu with J clips like these? http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30e0781b-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&ccd=INT002&utm_source=NextTag%20Feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=13950

 

They are J shaped strips of metal that bend into a circle with the aid of J clip pliers. I used to use these to put together wire rabbit cages and they seem to be fairly sturdy. I wasn't sure I had any, but digging around in the basement I came across a bag of them and I have been adding a few between Eglu clips just in case the plastic clips deteriorate in the sun.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

How easy would they be to remove? Not a problem generally, granted, but if you were adding an extension or wanting to take put your run in a car for some reason, it might make it more difficult than the Omlet clips?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

We use cable ties alongside the Omlet clips, cheap enough to remove with a sharp knife/scissors or get the removable ones..................wonderful invention

 

Sha x

[sandyhas3chucks]

We use cable ties alongside the Omlet clips, cheap enough to remove with a sharp knife/scissors or get the removable ones..................wonderful invention

 

Sha x

Me too as I don't use the run all the time!

You can with a tiny screw driver undo the non removalble ones too!

[spott]

omg!!!

 

just had a fox attack. got an eglu + run, the chooks were scratching about the garden , i was upstairs, my father (foot in a cast) was watching from the open back door. fox came in, grabbed chook by the wing, tried to run off, father (cast and all) forgot his crutch RAN into the garden, into the path of the fox, who let go of the chook and ran. Poor hannah is very disturbed, but appearantly mostly unharmed. there is no sign of blood just lots of feathers. i tempted her into the run where her sister and food and shelter will hopefully help her over the shock.

we have moved into this house at the edge of london's green belt but in a built-up area, only 6 weeks ago. i had been warned by the previous owner about foxes, but hadn't seen hide nor hair since we moved in. now this. no foxwatch (but now considering it) but i had liberally covered the garden is SILENT ROAR (Lion dung, supposed to keep foxes and cats away) Now i will get hubby to 'mark his territory'....

 

love, spott

[Ain't Nobody Here]

What a shock, Spott . Thank goodness for your father (hope his foot's OK!).

 

You may want to invest in a Foxwatch now a fox knows where your girls are .

[legend21]

I dont know how anyone feels about this but I am considering smearing garden fence (about 6 ft high) and flat roofed shed with anti climb paint, my OH brought it home it does not dry )(we used it about 17 years ago when house got broken into and it took years to dry only dry). My reason for using it would be to stop fox lying on top of shed roof and if he climbs fence he will be in a mess and it would not be good for him to clean himself. We have not had any probs yet, but there is a fox who wanders the gardens late at night.

 

I sound so hard nosed but I love my girls to bits and can bear anything to happen.

 

Am I a baddie

Jackie

[Olly]

I don't think it's bad, but I'm not sure how well it will work ... presumably it makes it slippery, but one of the reasons (as I understand it) that it works to deter humans is that they know they're going to get coated in it and it will be impossible to clean off, and make it very obvious where they've been.

 

I'm not sure foxes can read! Maybe the smell and slipperiness will put him off.

[Old Speckled Hen]

I got this on my hands once ........

It's horrid stuff and I expect a fox trying to clean himself would suffer somewhat.

Would he survive to remember not to try again though?

I'm sorry, I don't think that's the way to go. I love my chooks too and If I caught a fox at them I would certainly shoot him but poisoning him is cruel. He's only doing what foxes do.

[Egluntyne]

I agree with OSH......sorry. There are very strict laws re the poisoning of foxes, and it is best to avoid being tripped up by them.

[margotthechicken]

I lost two girls, six weeks in to owning hens, back in the snow in February of this year. I had spent an hour or so cleaning the girls out, and just being with them. I put them into their big run, (one with inadequate fencing I now realise), and went inside, I flicked on the kettle, turned to look through the window and I saw the fox scrambling over the fence with Gladys in it's mouth. I shouted and ran to the run, the fox trotted off into the woods, stopped and looked at me, turned and ran off. It happened at lunch time, and I am convinced the fox had been watching me to see when the coast was clear. I was horrified to realise that the fox had taken Ginger and Gladys, my daughters two girls. Needless to say, our fencing is now bigger and better, six foot chainlink to be exact!

[whoopsie]

A fox managed to get throough the bars of the puppy pen i was using as an intro pen. It had pulled the pen across the garden and I presume tipped the girls out of the cat box inside the pen.

 

My original omlet girls are fine and it was them that woke me up with their clucking

Barbara Margot

 

RIP Glenda and Rose

[Back Yard Farm]

I have a 6 month old hen and cockerel Araucana with 13 chicks of different breed. The chicks are between 8 and 12 weeks old.

 

The day before yesterday, after getting home from work, I went into garden to put the chickens away. They were all huddeled up in a corner, but 1 was missing. I had only been gone 5 hours.

 

I have searched everywhere. I cant see any feathers where it may have been attacked, or anywhere that it could have escaped. The fences are minimum of 5 feet high.

 

Did a fox get it? If it did, why just the one, not all of them.

 

Thanks you.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, BYF. So sorry to hear about your chick . Perhaps the fox was disturbed? It does sound like the others were spooked by something if they were all huddled .

 

You don't think the chick could have jumped/flown over the fence? They can get quite high when they want to.

[Missus]

my neighbour lost one of her chooks to a ferret that grabbed it and dragged it in a drain pipe. She was on hand and threw things at the ferret but it still managed to get away with one of her birds. She had missed one of her flock a few weeks ago and blamed the fox so was surprised to catch the ferret in the act

 

I had a ferret turn up in my garden too but fortunately it was too tame to hunt.

[daphne_and_polly]

what attacked???

we were away this weekend, so chickens confined to eglu. we came back to find the rain cover shredded, polly with a very sore foot and, most bizarely, the dropping tray pulled out. what could possibly have done this (other than a person)? the clip might not have been fully engaged, but seems unlikely. we have never seen a fox in the garden, but a few dogs have had a go at the chickens before.

[Patricia W]

Could have been a fox or a dog. I don't think a person would shred the cover? Would they? I hope the chickens recover.

 

Tricia

[pat_m]

Fox attack early November - fox came into the garden at 3pm while people and dogs were nearby and took 1 chicken.

While we were on holiday our house/animal sitters, following our instructions, had let the girls out into the garden. The sitters were in the kitchen watching through the door, with the window open to hear any cries of distress. Around 3pm (well before dusk) a fox attacked, grabbed one of the chickens, they chased it, it turned round and stared boldly at them, not sure exactly what happened but the fox dropped the chicken, however she had a big chunk taken out of her back/wing and sadly didnt' survive.

Sitters were experienced chicken keepers in New Zealand but no fox experience (there are none out there) so although they had been told about foxes, they didn't really realise how bold they are. At least they saved the other 6. Chickens are now let out only under close supervision, we have taken up the kitchen rug to make it more pleasant for us when they visit the kitchen.

Fox is still visiting the garden regularly. I am looking into ways of allowing more free ranging with fox protection. Also I will get my son to pee round the fence (husband refuses to do it)

As usual our 2 dogs (both F), who will go mad when they see a fox walking down the road on their evening walk, were no use at all in repelling the fox in the garden.

 

Re eglu tray (previous post) - we have an old eglu which has a loose spring, the dog managed to remove the tray to get at the eggs. We put a brick in front of the tray to keep it in place, and keep foxes out.

[lyd119]

taken at 6 in the morning just before it got light. they were out in there enclosed bit of the garden, fenced of with chicken wire. the wire wasn't damaged, just the gate was open. only took two of them... very sad to come back to.

 

Lydia

[miffy]

on 27th dec All 3 girls were free ranging in nthe garden (unsupervised due to visitors!!) they somehow got into the lane. At about 2pm a neighbour knocked to tell us there had been a fox attack and one of our girls was obviously dead but she wasnt sure about the other. On investigation one was dead although no sign of any injuries?? and one was barely alive and had horendous injuies she died as we were discussing how best to move her. Primrose (already the suvivor of a previous attack) was no where to be seen. We found her eventually in the field behind the garden, and we had to monitor her until the light started going and she took herself home she wouldn't let us anywhere near her. Speaking to other chicken keepers here there is a large male fox in the area we believe has been responsible for a spate of recent attacks in daylight.