Single hen

[thewhitehouse]

Anybody had trouble with badgers calling on their chooks? Mt neighbour spotted one barging into our garden from his this morning and called to tell me (just as I was in dressing gown and wellies about to let the girls out - so elegant

 

Are they a threat to the chooks do you think?

[Adams Egg]

Not heard of them hunting in the way that a fox does. From memory I think the old Mark 1 eglus had a wire mesh fitted to combat an attack by a badger, it must be pretty rare though, more likely to want the eggs if they came across them hidden in the hedge.

[Egluntyne]

They steal eggs and young chicks if given half a chance, and would injure a hen if they got into the run with them.

[4Clucks-minusOne]

I'm not sure if I'm tempting fate by saying this but my girls are very close to a Badger sett which opens out on the fence boundary. We haven't had any bother so far but we saw lots of footprints of their movements when it snowed. Fortunately they look like they go up the drive to forage in all the leaf litter and woodchip. The fox is more of worry as he wanders all over the plot which is why I can't let my girls freerange except when I clean them out and can pen them close by.

[half dozen]

We live backing onto open fields and woodland.The farm 300 yrds away from us has regular badger visitors at night that take one bird each night for their supper!!! They have even had their turkeys taken by them!!

[mostin]

We live backing onto open fields and woodland.The farm 300 yrds away from us has regular badger visitors at night that take one bird each night for their supper!!! They have even had their turkeys taken by them!!

 

poor hens, imagine waiting for it to be your turn

[thewhitehouse]

Thanks for the replies guys. So far no reattempt by Broc to infiltrate chooksville. Had a panic attack at 3 this morning though when my OH woke me up shouting 'the chickens!'. Dreaming of badgers apparently - too much red wine more likely

[Willow]

We've been visited 2 nights running by a badger. I didn't know what had visited the previous night but we saw it last night. The first night the eglu doors weren't closed and it moved all the bricks I have weighing down the skirt of the run and had broken one of the clips holding the run door on but didn't get the door off which surprised me becuase I assumed it had been a fox and couldn't work out why it had stopped when it had got the door loose. A few feathers and one chicken had been startled and sligt cut on her beak but they were happy in the morning.

 

I closed the eglu door so last night it tried to break into the quail enclosure which is right up by the house. It was very keen to get into the quail but OH scared it off.

 

First time I've seen a live badger

 

Not sure what to do about it. I can keep the chickens secure at night by closing the eglu door. The quail enclosure is more vulnerable and they don't naturally put themselves in the house part at night (or I'd be tempted to get them a rablu) so I need to think about them.

 

Apparently badgers damage the garden but since I've 7 chickens free ranging during the day I'm not sure I'd notice

 

I'd prefer to leave it to move around freely if we can. Anyone got any thoughts ?