Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[dylan]

I have just started letting my girls free range a little and am really scared of a fox visit (the next door neighbours feed our local foxes which doesn't help!). If I can persuade other half to donate some urine for the edge of the garden, how often would it have to be put on to be effective?

Kirsty (Light Sussex)

Gemma (Gold Laced Wyandotte)

Winnie (Blue Laced Wyandotte)

2x lop eared rabbits

[Stevie]

Depends on how much it rains as this will wash it away.I wouldnt use too much otherwise your garden will smell like a public toilet..!

 

Human hair works against deer so might also deter foxes.

 

As your neighbour feeds foxes-i would ensure fences are high enough though to prevent climbing and make them impossible to dig under.Foxes will be aware already of your chooks presence.

[dylan]

Thanks for your advise Stevie, will check fences and ask hairdresser for a bag of hair next time I visit. I have kept rabbits for years without any fox attacks but I suspect they are alerted more easily to chickens than rabbits by their smell or the noise they make.

[Hen Watch]

I always keep hair from the hairdressers and stuff it in old socks and hang it around the garden (not pretty.....). The neighbour feeding them is more of a worry as they will smell you chooks instantly.

[jools+6]

im a hairdresser and trust me we have lots of hair in the salon we would love to give away ! it is supposed to work , just stuff some in old tights , i think it will smell nicer too might look a bit odd mind

[dylan]

My hairdresser was actually round having a look yesterday after work Jools, she is keen to get some chickens herself. She thought they were gorgeous - it's amazing how much you enjoy hearing people say your chickens are gorgeous!

 

The next door neighbours feed the foxes at the front of the house (we're in a terrace). My hubby says they are so well fed round our way that they wouldn't know what to do if they came across a rabbit or chicken. I don't think I'll trust to that though

[jools+6]

if they're well fed dylan , they might be like cats they just hunt for fun (even tho' they do sometimes kill what they get )...the foxes will hopefully be too lazy to bother with walls , coops etc they need to tackle to get to the end game . we're in the midst of a wimpy estate . we have foxes (the woman behind us had her girls and cockrel mauled as she slept , but she wasn't locking them up at night and her garden was open , low gates etc ). our neighbour has watched one eye up the kids rabbit who free ranges in a run , but it couldn't be bothered and walked off ... hopefully our girls will be ok in our garden its pretty inaccessable and ollie sleeps at the back of the house in a conservatory and can see into the garden . we just have to be vigilant ...

[chickenanne]

It works where foxes are scared of humans - if next door feed them, the chances are it'll do no good at al, and jsut make your garden stinky in the hot weather. I always thought hair worked off the same principle.