4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[kaylis1980]

my girls have been with me 9 days now and have been let out the last 4 days for fairly short periods. then yesterday i let them out around 2 hours and we had to chase them back in as we needed to go out.

 

well the stubborn little moo's arent having it today am i ok to be in the house with them outside? i really need to get some housework done- although i ill definatly have to herd them up later before i go out.

 

advice anyone??

[Gallina]

Only you can answer this.

 

If you have seen or heard about foxes in the vicinity of your garden, the answer is definitely No.

 

Similarly if your fences are not secure, or low.

 

You haven't spent long enough out with them yet to find out what they are capable of -- and as they get older they will be capable of more. Are their wings clipped?

[Tessa the Duchess]

They can be little madams can't they :evil:Personally I wouldn't let mine free range without me being able to keep an eye on them, but I live in fox country Can you not tempt them back in the run with their favourite treat? A handful of mixed corn always gets mine back in or as a last resort they will follow sultanas to the ends of the earth Just chuck a handful into the run and hopefully they will all follow.

 

Tessa

[kaylis1980]

the fences are 6ft (ish) we have HEARD foxes at night in the area as we are only a few hundred feet from farmland, but we have never ever seen or heard of one in the daylight- the fences are secure though- and although the girls arent clipped their wing feathers are very sp"Ooops, word censored!" and they barly balance walking never mind trying to take off- that is not my worry at all. i just hate to stress them out and get them back in the run

[kaylis1980]

They can be little madams can't they :evil:Personally I wouldn't let mine free range without me being able to keep an eye on them, but I live in fox country Can you not tempt them back in the run with their favourite treat? A handful of mixed corn always gets mine back in or as a last resort they will follow sultanas to the ends of the earth Just chuck a handful into the run and hopefully they will all follow.

 

Tessa

 

mine havent grasped the concept of treats yet they only know- outside and scratching means worms!

[Tessa the Duchess]

They can be little madams can't they :evil:Personally I wouldn't let mine free range without me being able to keep an eye on them, but I live in fox country Can you not tempt them back in the run with their favourite treat? A handful of mixed corn always gets mine back in or as a last resort they will follow sultanas to the ends of the earth Just chuck a handful into the run and hopefully they will all follow.

 

Tessa

 

mine havent grasped the concept of treats yet they only know- outside and scratching means worms!

 

Aah I see. Ok dig up a few worms and chuck them in the run, hopefully they will go after them.

 

Tessa

[kaylis1980]

They can be little madams can't they :evil:Personally I wouldn't let mine free range without me being able to keep an eye on them, but I live in fox country Can you not tempt them back in the run with their favourite treat? A handful of mixed corn always gets mine back in or as a last resort they will follow sultanas to the ends of the earth Just chuck a handful into the run and hopefully they will all follow.

 

Tessa

 

mine havent grasped the concept of treats yet they only know- outside and scratching means worms!

 

having just posted this i thought what the hell i will go andtry the sultanas (was greeted outside by 2 hens in my herb pots ) and there was minimal chasing (ruby detoured under the trampoline) but they came to investigate as soon as i threw some sultana in the run fools!!!

[Laura & CTB]

having just posted this i thought what the hell i will go andtry the sultanas (was greeted outside by 2 hens in my herb pots ) and there was minimal chasing (ruby detoured under the trampoline) but they came to investigate as soon as i threw some sultana in the run fools!!!

 

Works every time too!

[kaylis1980]

i have put the bag of sultanas in the metal bin with their food now- mwahaha

[*mummy_hen*]

Mine are the same - fight their way out the door when i'm only going in to say hello, top up water,etc. I will open my kitchen doors and then they can come in the kitchen with me or i can easily see them and hear them chuntering around, but personally i would never go any further and leave mine unattended. We have never had any reason to think we had foxes in our garden, but i just couldn't bear it if anything happened to them.

 

Don't want to make you worried, but equally you must be aware of the risk if you do leave them.

[Abbey Road Girl]

Yes, it's down to how much you would grieve if Mr Fox got one or more of them--and what you really see as your moral responsibility to your hens.

 

You will find that they will gladly go into the run for treats! Mine have learnt (or have taught me) that going back inside is a price worth paying for a bowl of treats.

[Egluntyne]

i just hate to stress them out and get them back in the run

I'm afraid they will be more stressed by a visit from the fox.

 

Foxes can scale high fences quite easily, especially if there is a handy "leg up" such as a wheelie bin, or a compost bin or shed roof on the other side.

[SharonX]

I will be honest and say that mine are out now whilst i'm here on the computer reading these. And i'm sure i'm not alone.

I used to stay out with mine but as time has gone on I 'popped in' to answer the phone, start dinner etc etc. I suppose over time I have just let them do their thing. I only put them away when I am going out.

 

I have never heard of foxes around here. I have very high secure fences and a fox would have to come through a few gardens to get to mine. Some might call me silly, and I would truly be deverstated if anything happened to my girls. But I personally feel the risk is minimal and I enjoy seeing them out and about stretching their wings and generally having a great time. I might live to regret saying that but it really is down to every individual to weigh up the risks and not just presume that a fox will get them the moment you turn your back. I have read many sad storys on here where Mr Fox has visited but just don't think I am putting my girls at risk or I certainly wouldn't do it.

[WitchHazel]

I'm with Sharon on this.

 

I love my Girls, and I would be devastated if the fox came and got them. But if I had to be out in the garden with them all the time, then they wold probably only get half an hour's free ranging a day, with couple of extra hours every now and then one of us is out working in the garden.

 

I have the Omlet netting (which I know is no fox deterrent), but it means I know where the girls should be and I can do a quick bottom count every so often. The netting is moved to a fresh area every couple of days and I let the girls out into that from about 9am until about 5pm or so. I put them away if I am going to be working upstairs, or if i'm going out. For most of the time they are out (unless it is raining heavily), I have the backdoor open (it opens outwards into the garden).

 

I appreciate that I am taking a risk; I've decided though that my Girls love being out and that on balance, the freedom they get enriches their lives so much that it's a risk worth taking.

 

Of course I will be devastated if they get taken by a fox, and I might well kick myself for making the choice I've made.

[clarissahen]

Having just lost three to a fox who took adv of 15-20mins absence.. I would say DO NOT LEAVE THEM! You'll NEVER forgive yourself!

Cook up spaghetti and wave it under their beaks...they will follow you anywhere!