How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[SteveandSarah]

Hi all -

 

Not what we wanted to be making for a first post here but we've been visited by Mr Fox only a few weeks after taking on our first pair of ex-batts, and are now all a bit shook up and unsure of what to do next

 

We're thinking our girl needs some new friends, and in line with what we've seen others say we want to get two new birds this time to fill the house up and make sure no-one's lonely. Ideally we'd like more ex-batts but the rescue centre we got our current girls from won't have any more for weeks, and so we're not sure whether we're best to hang on for that or try to get some girls from an ethical breeder sooner? We live in Sheffield and don't drive, so it would need to be somewhere relatively easy to get to from here (we are prepared to do trains, buses and reasonable taxi's - its also possible we *might* be able to get a lift, depends how nice our friends are feeling).

 

We have ordered a fox watch, and think we found the loose bricks in the garden the fox managed to get through (we have a wall down one side, a wall that meets a fencedown the other side, and raised fence meeting a pretty solid bed on the other). Once we have done this, do people think it would be safer for us to let our chooks out freerange in the garden, as we would prefer to do this (when we are in). For the rest of the time we have an eglu and run.

 

Thanks Sarah and Steve

[sandyhas3chucks]

One rescue is happening 20th Dec. Oi expect they are all booked but at this time of year maybe someone won't be able to take the ones thaey were going to. There are 2 maybe 3 rescues you could try the others also local RSPCA sometimes have them.

Good luck, she will need some friends, you could also look further down to anothert section, someone might be looking fpor a home!

[Guest]

it's never "safe" to let your chickens free range. Once a fox has been he will likely be back too, especially at this time of the year.

 

You're far better off having a large, walk-in, run so they have plenty of room and then let them free range under supervision. We're always out in the garden when we let the girls out. I'd never risk letting them out when we're not there as I think it's too risky.

 

You don't have to be an expert carpenter either to build your own run.

 

My husband built ours from wood and weldmesh. Or there's plenty of sites where you can buy aviary panels and then just screw them together yourself.

 

This is our run, it's nothing fancy but should give you an idea. It's on soil but surrounded by concrete slabs.

 

http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/290808.2.jpg

 

We have 4 ex batts (used to be 5 but one girl sadly died of natural causes) and they're more like pets to us than livestock so I'm maybe over cautious with them but then is there any such as being over cautious where foxes are concerned?

 

good luck and sorry to hear about your chicken.

[chelsea]

I agree with Poet that now the fox has struck he knows you have chooks unfortunately.

 

Your girls will be fine in the run (they make us feel guilty dont they?!), its best only let them out when you are out pottering in the garden with them if you are prone to foxes.

 

good luck and let us know how things go

[Guest]

Your girls will be fine in the run ...

 

or you could get a run extension from omlet? I suppose even if you don't get an extension, they'll be fine in the standard run as it's better than a battery cage!

[Egluntyne]

Welcome to the forum....good to have more Sheffielders on board.

 

It isn't a good time of year for new hens. Breeders tend not to have much at the moment.

 

The nearest BHWT centre is in Haslingden, near Rochdale, so as you don't drive, that would be tricky to reach.

 

**Henrehomers** which used to be called North London Rescue, have a centre in Sheffield, but the Nov and Dec 2008 rescues have been cancelled.

 

Have you tried **Storrs Poultry**? A family firm with a good reputation locally, and one of the Omlet recommended breeders.

 

Good luck.

[mostin]

Welcome to the forum, but so sorry that your first post is such a sad one .

 

I have a fox watch, as I leave my girls freee ranging within their omlet netting all day while I'm at work. I've never seen a fox near us or suffered a fox attack though. I hope you manage to find some new girlies with not to many problems. Don't feel guilty for not being able to get more resue girls, you don't want your remaining girl being lonely just because you have to wait for months for a rescue date.

[Hendy]

I suppose it depends on how you feel but with a fox watch I'd give it a go letting them free range. I much prefer letting my chickens free range, but I haven't had a fox attack so not sure how I would feel about it after that.

[SteveandSarah]

We really do want to free range them if possible. They've been so much happier while in the garden. Part of what we're not clear about it how good foxes are at climbing - once we're done patching up the holes our garden will be 6ft fences (mostly on brick) all round, so we're hoping that will keep them out.

 

Thanks for the link to Henremomets, Egluntine. We've signed up with them now and will wait to hear what their next rescue date is, if it's early in January we might just wait. We were wondering if maybe ex-batts are likely to get on all together better than mixed breeds anyway...

[fowlbird]

foxes are very good climbers - they can get over a 6ft wall I think. The eglu run is enough for them during the week and they can free-range at weekends when you're home.

[Egluntyne]

We were wondering if maybe ex-batts are likely to get on all together better than mixed breeds anyway...

 

No better or worse than any others really.

 

The chances are that they will be strangers to each other anyway and after a few days of being a bit shellshocked from the move, they can squabble just like any other hens, till the pecking order is established.

 

With careful management it can be minimised.

[sandyhas3chucks]

foxes are very good climbers - they can get over a 6ft wall I think. The eglu run is enough for them during the week and they can free-range at weekends when you're home.

Sorry but I read somewhere (ft didn't stop the fox, it depends on whether they can climb on anything AND if they can use their feet to scramble up a fence. I have personally seen one run around a room half way up the wall like centrufugal force! It had also been up the chimney & soot was all around the walls!

[WitchHazel]

Sorry to hear about your fox visit.

 

It's great that you want to get some friends for your remaining Girl. Can't help, as I don't know your area, but just wanted to wish you the best of luck xxx

[sandyhas3chucks]

viewforum.php?f=35

this is wher I meant you to look it is "free to good home" section. sometimes people have put chickens on here! In the mean time she isn't just in her run alone for hours on end is she? You will need to be her buddy for a while & a mirror in her run might make her feel less alone (apparently). Poor you I keep thinking of you & hoping someone near you has a friend for her.

[Guest]

.....how good foxes are at climbing - once we're done patching up the holes our garden will be 6ft fences (mostly on brick) all round, so we're hoping that will keep them out.

 

...

 

foxes can easily get over a 6ft fence and bear in mind, that fox knows where to get an easy meal now.

[sandyhas3chucks]

[sorry but I read somewhere (ft didn't stop the fox, it depends on whether they can climb on anything AND if they can use their feet to scramble up a fence. I have personally seen one run around a room half way up the wall like centrufugal force! It had also been up the chimney & soot was all around the walls!

Sorry that was MEANT to read 9 feet they have got over

[WitchHazel]

Um, I know that this point of view won't be very popular amongst many of the Omleteers, and I was going to PM the OP rather than posting, as I don't want to upset anyone. Nor do I particularly want people to think I'm a heartless old bag who obviously doesn't care about her hens because I'm not and I do, very much,.

 

I'm very fortunate in having a large walk in run for my Girls, but even so, they are much happier out free ranging in the garden. We let them out to free range whenever we are downstairs, but we don't limit them (as some posters recommend) to only free ranging while we can be outside with them. If we did that, they could go for days without free ranging time.

 

I know that I'm taking a big risk, and I know that I would be inconsolable if my girls were taken by a fox.

 

BUT. Well. Personally, I think my girls are happier free ranging. And in the cold light of day, without having suffered a fox attack, personally I feel their quality of life is better being able to free range, even if that life ends up being shorter if they get taken by a fox.

 

Please don't misunderstand or take offence at my post. I'm not saying that I think everyone should think the same as me, and I'm not suggesting that anyone should be flippant with the lives of their girls. I think I'm just trying to balance out the strong "pressure" of disapproval that I sometimes infer when I read posts about the need to keep the girls in. Please don't misunderstand, I know everyone is only being helpful and saying what they say out of concern and the desire to help; I'm not trying to stop people expressing their point of view, and I'm not trying to say that anyone else's point of view is wrong; I'm not thinking about anyone in particularI just wanted to give a slightly different view point.

 

(see? this is why maybe I should've sent this as a PM after all)....

[Egluntyne]

I agree with you WitchHazel....but as the fox is a frequent visitor at Egluntine Towers, I have to be vigilant.

 

The girls are playing out now, but I'm looking right at them in between looking at the forum.

 

We have neighbours who feed the bloomin' fox.

 

Part of me thinks that if they are stuffed with Asda Chicken breasts...(BOGOF np doubt) they might not come a-hunting but this is probably a faint hope.

 

I have muddy foorprints on the occupied Eglu and the plastic sheet has been torn, so at the mo the free ranging is limited.

 

I must put some new batteries in the Foxwatch.

[SteveandSarah]

WitchHazel - I know exactly what you mean. At times our girls (well just the one girl now ) have been seen to stand at the end of their run looking back and forth like they're desperate to get out. And every morning they run straight out of the run (ignoring their breakfast) to go play in the dust bath they've made in our borders, or to see if the wild birds kicked any seeds off of the bird feeder that the chicks can truffle up...

 

So yeah, we really want them to be able to free-range as much as possible, but equally I don't want to be having to carry a body to the vets again any time soon. So for us it's about trying to find the best balance between comfort and safety for our girls.

 

Certainly there will be no unsupervised free ranging until we have fixed up all the holes in the perimeter and have the foxwatch up and running. After that we'll see how things go. I'm at home all day generally but of course I can't make it down from my upstairs office faster than a fox can cause trouble in the garden

[sandyhas3chucks]

I read the fox posts all the time, can anyone that had an attack whist they are there tell me if.

1. when popped indoors to fill up water bowl , how far away from the house were the girls.

2. Anyone were the doors closed if you weren't standing watching were you able to hear anything.

3. wings clipped or not

4.did the girls make any noise.

 

I ask as like Egluntine I know there are foxes here, but I do pop to the loo or in the shed(door open always loo downstairs near chooks) but don't know if being over cautious or not.

I know some have screamed and fox dropped chook.(yay!) like to know as much as p[ossible as like them to free range as much as possible.though severly limitting right now due to a softee spell.

[Guest]

I read the fox posts all the time, can anyone that had an attack whist they are there tell me if.

1. when popped indoors to fill up water bowl , how far away from the house were the girls.

2. Anyone were the doors closed if you weren't standing watching were you able to hear anything.

3. wings clipped or not

4.did the girls make any noise.

 

I ask as like Egluntine I know there are foxes here, but I do pop to the loo or in the shed(door open always loo downstairs near chooks) but don't know if being over cautious or not.

I know some have screamed and fox dropped chook.(yay!) like to know as much as p[ossible as like them to free range as much as possible.though severly limitting right now due to a softee spell.

 

there's a post on here about someone who turned their electric fence off for a moment, turned her back and the fox had one of her girls so i don't think you can be TOO careful.

 

You can't predict what a wild thing will do.

 

If you let them free range, unsupervised, then they're at risk, full stop.

 

All too often on here you read posts where people say they haven't seen a fox for X amount of years and their girls free range. Then they suffer a fox attack and post a thread warning everyone else of the dangers and to be vigilant

[sandyhas3chucks]

YES, THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WENT TO FILL UP THE WATER BOWL, BUT I WONDERED HOW FAR AWY THE HOUSE WAS FROM THEM, i HAVE 200FT GARDEN & NEVER leave them all the way down end alone(soory caps lock was on. Glad you don't think I'm too cautious.

[sandyhas3chucks]

"Free at last" have some but don't know where.