emmamakeup Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Hi everyone I'm worried even before I pick up the girls on Saturday. I have a high 5-6 foot fence around the whole of the garden. I'd like my hens to free range as much as possible but am constantly worried about fox attacks - I've seen them in the area and know they will sniff out the hens when they arrive. Do any of you keep yours in the run when you are out and only free range when you are in the garden? How do you go on when you are away for a couple of days - do you let them only run around in the run and keep the door to the eglu open? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Ordinary fences, even high ones are not a deterrant to foxes. The only safe thing is to have them behind an electrified fence or in a WIR - lots of advice for both in here. However, having said that, you must make your individual choice as to the level of risk you are prepared to take. I let mine free range all the time in an enclosed garden without either at the moment. And, although I work at home a lot, I'm not always in - as today. I made the decision a year ago that their quality of life was worth the risk - we have no history of foxes and we've lived here for over 30 years. I know I may regret it, but that's been my choice so far and I'm happy to live with the possible consequences. Mind you, I do have Omlet netting which is going up to be electrified - once our builders have gone! They are slow enough without being eletrocuted - or maybe that would hurry them up?? Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Ours are in the run unless we supervise them freeranging and they are fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwenLdn Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Mine are in the run most of the time- they only get let out when I get home from work and im around to supervise in their fenced off area. This might only add up to twice during the week plus for as long as we are at home on the weekends. Don't feel too bad about not letting them out if you aren’t comfortable doing it. You have their best interests at heart. This is why walk in runs are so popular! (its on my to-do list!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgregson Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 We try and let ours out for an hour each day when I'm home from work and longer at the weekends - I make sure we're either in the garden with them or sitting in the conservatory with the door open just in case the local fox appears - we're going to invest in one of those foxwatch devices to help keep the fox out but dare I say it, we haven't seen him in our garden for a couple of weeks now... maybe he just got bored of trying to break into the eglu and run? Or maybe it had something to do with my DH 'scenting' It's such a difficult one, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 We only let ours out when we're at home although we don't watch them constantly. They often spend time in their run even though they have the run of the flowerbeds so I'm confident they like being in the run and I don't feel guilty if they spend all day in there. I have seen a fox in the field at the end of our garden but never seen one actually in our garden. We do take a risk not watching the girls but like Patricia it's a risk we've chosen to take. So far so good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
