Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[rusky123]

I went on a holiday last week, when I got home my son was here and ran to me and cried. Blanche was the only survivour. A fox had all my babies. Dog was staying with son at the time so I do not have that brunt to bear again. My poor old Mum found them and was devastated. She said it was the first night they did not go into their arc for her. She feels so guilty,and cries all the time, not her fault.I did not want ducks again, too much heartbreak, but seeing poor Blanche so lonely broke my heart. She HONKS whenever she sees me, and she HONKED and followed me everywhere. My Mum was staying in the garden with her with her cuppa, she was down the pen for hours a day. Too much for a 80+ year old.Used to take a hot water bottle down with her, bless. Blanche was so lonely. I have gone off the Coro street names, and now have Pearl, a lovely white runner, Bess a black one, and Ghengis Khan, a black runner with a beetle green crest who Blanche has taken a shine to. She grabs his crest in her bill and tows him around the pen. They are all the same age as Blanche, but she is almost twice the size of them. Do not know if I did the right thing getting more ducks, told DH he has got to go and have widdle along our wall and fence when he takes the dog out at night, a good fox deterent, he is NOT amused. Bought a fox deterent light and sound thing, and spent the past few days burying metal fencing into the ground under fence. Thinking of buying electric fencing.If anyone here has any fox deterent ideas I would be very grateful. What is it about ducks that makes us smile?.

[Lesley]

Sorry to hear your news but glad you have some new little ducks to look after

 

We keep our poultry in large runs - all behind 5'+ fencing and the whole area surrounded by a single strand electric wire.

 

The wire is 8" from the ground and is powered by an Electric Shepherd Energiser and a battery. Isolators hold the wire away from the fence netting. There is a wooden post across the doorway into the runs, at the same height as the wire, so that you have to step over both to get into the run.

[rusky123]

Thank you Lesley. I am looking into electric fencing at the moment. There are 6 foot walls on 3 sides of the pen, but its only 3 1/2 foot where the pen runs into the garden. Normally not a problem, ducks are put to bed at dusk, and dog deters the local foxes. I live in a town and most of our foxes seemed to vanish about 2 years ago, I found 3 dead in the park I back onto.If I go away I usually have a dog walker who will put ducks to bed as well. All fully booked this time.Also looking into caging over the whole pen. Its a big area, but I do not want to go through this heartache again.

[Lesley]

So does that mean that you would only have to take care of the fourth side? - or would a fox be able to gain access from the walls?

 

You could use fruit cage netting as a roof?

[rusky123]

I have only 1 side of the pen to look after, looking at the defra avian flu netting, the pen is big and will cost a lot, as well as electifying the lower fence, did not think about the gate!. I cannot have a wire 8 inches above the floor, my Mum who lives with us would never step over it. Just want to keep the ducks safe. LOL my 1st ducks were a present, our son says he should have got me a standing order as well.