Smart Door Power Options

[skye]

REally sorry to hear about Hilda and Evadne

 

xx

[hilda-and-evadne]

Can I ask how big your gap is where the fox got through, & where it is located? Only because I have gaps at the top of my walk-in run, which are about 5 feet off the ground, as seen here where the roof slopes

 

Well, with the benefit of hindsight now, in your place I would fill those gaps in with weldmesh (as you say you are going to do). My run is built alongside one fence, and the gap between wall and roof that the fox got through, from my neighbour's garden (which is a bit higher than my garden), was about five feet from the ground; it must have taken him ages though - judging from the overturned plant pots, he tried first at different points around the run - and he managed it only because he was young and skinny and determined to reach the hens who were probably just standing there flirtatiously watching him interestedly until he got in.

 

Sending you lots of (((hugs)))

 

Thank you. It is painful - emotionally - the loss and the way they were lost, I can't stop thinking about them but trying to remember them as they were alive: sassy and talkative. I know it'll be better when the new hens arrive. I am sort of glad it happened before I got more hens, though; if it had happened two months hence, I'd probably have lost five hens and not two. By the time the new hens arrive, I will have reinforced everything. There will be no gaps, and I might even bolt the weldmesh to the wooden frame, rather than rely on screws.

 

Then there is the loss of the eggs to the household economy. Eggs from the garden really spoil you for supermarket eggs, it was saving me a fortune in cheese (ie having an egg sandwich for lunch instead of cheese), and I sold enough to cover the cost of the layers pellets.

 

It has given me a different perspective on vet's bills, too. I hadn't had to take my hens to the vet, and I had wondered if I would have to be hard-headed about whether or not to pay a vet bill that was three times what the hen had cost. But it isn't just the cost of the hen - it is the cost of one or two years' worth of eggs (and what having eggs saves you, eg not buying so much cheese - or ham or whatever).

[Alfred]

that's really sad...foxes are very cunning. i suppose they are hungry now as it's so cold so probably more daring.

Don't blame yourself though.

i keep wondering whether to leave mine out when i'm at work, as they like being out so much and it's dark such a lot now..think I will keep them in though.

[chickenanne]

Foxes are indeed incredibly cunning, athletic, and persistent. And I guess where you are they don't have the same wariness of humans, so are less likely to run away after disturbance.

I'm pretty sure that a tiny gap 5ft up would be something the overwhelming majority of people wouldn't think twice about; don't beat yourself up over it.

[atsw]

Yes; and I knew that losing one or more hens might be the price they paid for me to learn how to be a better poultry-keeper. It seems to be an almost inevitable "milestone" on the learning path.

I have to totally agree. We lost our first two chooks to a fox back in April 2006. Seems obvious in hindsight, but we had the Eglu and run on the veg-patch over the winter and the fox dug under the skirt of the run (pictures here). Like you we went straight out and got new chooks from a local source and added much greater protection for the run. Since that time we've not seen any evidence of 'digging' anywhere around the run, but we always keep a watchful eye.

 

Even with our past experience, we still allow our current girls to free-range whenever we can. It's what the chickens enjoy doing most. We are fully aware that we are taking a risk, but we could not bare to see them inside their run all the time.

 

Andrew

[Jules.]

I knocked the mesh onto the widest two gaps last night. Not as good as its on the run, as my friend built that for me, but at least the top is secure now.

The girls are coming out now, as we will be in the kitchen wrapping presents where we can see them.

[abwsco]

So sorry to read about your girls

[hilda-and-evadne]

the fox dug under the skirt of the run (pictures here).

 

I looked at your photos. What I would like to draw people's attention to is how shallow the fox's tunnel is - it's hardly more than a s"Ooops, word censored!"e - a fox can get through much smaller spaces than I had hitherto appreciated.

 

Anyway, I hope that my experience will help family and friends to avoid having foxes in their chicken run when/if they start poultry-keeping.

[Paola]

Only just caught up on this thread Rachel So sorry to hear about your loss