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[superjules]

I know that you all take good care of your chooks, but I'd just like to remind everybody about the threat of foxes. A fox cub was seen yesterday evening by a friend of mine at 5.30-6pm, a good 3 hours before dark, in a suburban environment.

 

Please be vigilant when free-ranging your girls.

[Egluntyne]

Blimey!

 

The threat is never very far away.

[superjules]

I'm wondering if it was orphaned or otherwise separated from it's mother because they're not supposed to be out on their own for a good few months yet. Either way, being out in daylight, it's obviously desperate for food and would welcome an easy dinner courtesy of an unlucky, unsuspecting chook owner, I'll bet.

[Lailapet]

I can only second that warning!!!

 

At around 6pm when my daughter cycled to the local shop all 3 of my chickens were in the garden having just had a handful of raisins. Just after 7 when I did a little bit of weeding I noticed the cockerel and the brown hen pottering about nearby. When I shut the eglu for the night the little black hen was missing!!!! We had doors and windows open, kids running in and out and one of the lorries arriving home and parking in the yard but none of us ever heard anything!

I'm not saying a fox took her, but she is definitely not here. The other two seemed calm and peaceful and not upset at all. They will stay in the eglu and run only from now on - but what do I do when I have to give the cockerel back when we move? I can't keep a lonely hen all on its own!!!

 

Laila

[TAJ]

With it getting dark so much later it is really hard - mine only got shut in at 9.45 tonight as I feel mean making them go in earlier - mind you they had been free ranging since 9 am, so perhaps I should put them in a bit earlier in the evening.

 

Thanks for the reminder,

 

Tracy

[SAB]

I live on the edge of a town, next to lots of fields and I work in the middle of a busy city (Glasgow) in various locations across the city - at both work and home I have seen foxes at various times of years both in the morning (up to 11am) and in the evening (from 4pm)!!!

[chelsea]

thanks for the reminder that we should all be vigilant Jules.

[Gamebird]

I have seen foxes at all times of the day.

 

Hiding in the undergrowth in the morning, sunbathing at mid-day and today at 3pm I watched one as he/she wandered across the bottom of my garden watching the chickens (secure behind electric fencing).

 

They are there at any time of day or night as long as there is something they are interested in (easy food).

 

Thanks Superjules, a good opportunity for us to have our say on Charlie.

[Gallina]

I would add that if you have nothing in place to keep foxes away, you should always shut your Eglu or Cube at night.

 

A lot of people have found out the hard way that this is sensible advice....

[Phosphorus]

Thanks for the reminder. We do have foxes our way but I haven't seen any in our garden in years (pre- chooks).

I have only just started letting them out for the whole of our garden which has lots of nooks and crannys (100ft x 40ft so reasonable size). I will give myself a kick as, although I don't let them out unless I am around the garden, I have started to get a bit complacent coming in and out of the house. They don't stay out all day and it is nice to see them enjoying themselves...... maybe I will get a Foxwatch

[Cooks]

myself and the neighbours have never seen a fox, however up the road they have, so it inevitable they are here really isn't it.

 

The man/farmer up the road shoots them on sight as they wiped out his entire flock of chickens.. he doesn't keep them closed in though

 

I will never let mine out without someone being in the garden with them. I just hope if a fox ever tries to visit that the run is as fox proof as we think.

 

We have no bite marks or anything on there yet though, which is a comforting sign, and the dogs help I believe as someone told me they stay away from gardens with dogs scent, but that's not guaranteed ofcourse and I am not taking any chances.

[MedusA]

Mr (or Mrs) Fox regularly visit my garden. My girls are always in their walk-in run unless I'm out there with them, and the fox seems to know they can't get in now. Doesn't stop them checking though! Since I lost one hen, I am NEVER complacent.

[superjules]

I always assumed that the worst time for fox attacks would be winter, when they are cold and hungry, but the biggest risk is probably when we get complacent because of the lovely weather. I hope this thread didn't come across as patronising, I just know how tempting it is to let the chooks have free-range of the garden and I get so upset to read posts when someone has lost a beloved chook to a fox.

 

I must say though, it amazes me how some people still underestimate foxes, having open-roofed runs, leaving chooks to free-range unsupervised all day, etc. but I suppose everyone's circumstances are different. We all have to assess the risk to our own chooks and live with the consequences if the worst happens.

[Phosphorus]

One of my friend's childminders has pekin bantams and lets them out for the day in the morning and leaves them to it I would be petrified around here - we are surrounded by railway tracks and fields not far off. Haven't seen any in the garden for a while but have seen them crossing roads nearby in daylight and dark.

 

You didn't sound patronising at all - not a bother. I was glad for a reminder. We are just off to do the school run and Waitrose and girls have gone obediently (well with a bit of help from corn!) back to stay in their run - with roof I might add

[Tiggy]

I only let mine into the omlet netting run when I'm with them, have learned from past experiance what foxes can be like, one tested my omlet eglu run last week, bite marks all over the shade and blood stained foot prints, must have cut its mouth trying to get in, scary stuff