4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[HENthusiastic]

Ive just come back from my field. 3 of my girls are missing .

 

I let them out this morning at about 8.30am and got back to the field at 5pm to find 3 gone. I know it is always a risk, but I am still gutted. I'm sad for the girls that have gone; but I'm sadder for the future. I don't want to have lost my dream and I dont want to not be able to use this land to give more girls (including ex-batts) a wonderful free ranging future.

 

The girls are all shut up overnight. I have a foxwatch directed towards the barn door. I have 3 alpacas (who are supposed to deter foxes )

 

Ive found one area which has a lot of feathers and another area which just has a few feathers. All the other girls are fine and there are no remains or sign of anything gory. The grass in part of the field has been cut short; the rest of it (where the feathers were) is about knee length. I'm trying not to give up hope. Does this sound like a fox attack? I thought they usually left a mess?

 

I'm wondering if I get the grass shorter, the fox will not be brave enough to venture as near and/or the fox will be more likely to be spotted by the alpacas. Not sure if I'm kidding myself

[Raina]

Sorry to hear you lost 3 of your girls

 

 

Could you not put something up like Scarecrows and tie human hair to them? (to make them smell and look like people )

Edited June 22, 2009 by Guest

[Helly Welly]

I'm so sorry Hen. I suppose a fox could have been hiding in the long grass. Are you sure they haven't escaped anywhere? I think you should cut the grass, it can't hurt and would cetainly give any foxes less options. Don't blame yourself, it's hard to strike a balance between free-ranging and their safety. Try spraying male urine around the edge of the field.

[ClaireG]

Im sorry Hen. I also would cut the longer grass.

[Snowy]

Sorry to hear about your girls Hen

Would it be worth putting some refuges in the field so they have somewhere to escape too? Something along the lines of a goalpost rail that they could flap up too?

Although if the fox sneaks up on them they wouldn't have time to flap up out of reach would they Worth a thought though?

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear it Hen.

 

Trouble is...if it is a fox, he will be back unfortunately.

 

Can you pen them in for a few days?

[mostin]

I am so, so sorry to hear your news Hen . I think cutting all the grass is a good idea, and building some refuges sounds like a really good plan.

 

I hope this isn't the end of your dream, but only a small setback .

 

I think Egluntine might be wise in her advice to keep them in for a few days. Can you get Ross and some of your male colleagues at work to donate their urine for you to take home with you to scatter round the hut .

 

If it is foxy it may deter him from coming back.

[HENthusiastic]

Thanks for your comments guys.

 

I will keep them in for a few days in the hope that if the fox comes back he will find the field empty and give up.

 

As for refuges; wouldn't the fox be able to jump as high as a chicken can fly?

 

Ive just got back from the field in the hope that one or two girls may have been hiding somewhere, but no such luck. There was only one major site of feathers and one minor one. I'm still hoping to find another one alive in the morning.

 

I've spoken to the bloke whos getting the grass cut and he says he will do it asap.

 

OH is being very good and saying we won't give up at the first problem. I guess we've got things to think about;

 

1. dont keep chickens

2. Electric fencing.

3. fence to keep the chickens on the short grass area in the hope that the fox isn't that brave (its a semi rural area).

4. Walk in runs.

 

Its such a shame. I've rented a whole acre which could make such a lovely home for so many lucky girls. It MUST be possible. We see loads of flocks of chickens in fields around our home. People have been keeping chooks freeranging all day and spending nights in big barns for centuarys. How do they do it????? Or do they just accept that the fox takes his share . Don't think I could do that.

Its a matter of weighing up what a great life I could give some hens, against the risks.

[Redwing]

Someone near us keeps a lot of hens and just lets the fox take a few knowing that many will get away

 

I would put this down as one for those things (although very sad ) and look at how far you have come with this new venture, mow the grass and see how it goes

 

If you still have peoblems consider a big electric netted enclosure like Gamebird's one, lots of room for chickens still

[Snowy]

Oh don't give up Hon!

It was Hugh FW who used refuges in his chicken fields - the idea is to have incremental perches so they can flap up in stages. A fox could jump up to the first one but not much higher. A bit like keeping them in an orchard so they have trees to flap into. I'd love to give it a go if I had the space! Just a thought for you. I hope you work something out

[Chickvic]

Sorry to hear about your girls

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm so sorry to hear about your 3 girls .

[Olly]

So sorry to hear about this. I would have thought the alpacas would have kept the fox away, but he may have just snatched an opportunity when they were at the other side of the field.

 

I'd definitely cut the grass, and consider electric fencing.

[karlotta]

So sorry to hear about your girls.

 

I lost two girls to a fox a little while back and as I couldn't bear to see them shut up in a run I invested in electric fencing (netting) they love it and now run about merrily from dawn to dusk.

 

Since installing it I've come to the conclusion that a whole family of foxes is living right next door! I can hear then fighting and playing right behind the fence (next door neighbour's garden is like a wilderness - it's totally full of bramble and nettle!)

 

I'm confident (touch wood) that electric fencing is as safe as it gets - short of shutting them in...

[laurmurf]

No, NO, NO, NO!

 

you can't give up your dream! There IS an answer to this. You are absolutely right, chooks have free ranged for longer than they've lived in cages.

 

remember, darling HEN, that your lovely Sentinel boys are very new to the job. Maybe that's the first time they've seen a fox? Have you thought that even if it did take 3, it didn't take anymore? Maybe the boys are doing their job, they just had to learn it a bit quick? What about encouraging the boys to that area of long grass and sad feathers so that any nasty furry red things will smell alpaca as soon as they want to come back?

 

A quick and grumpy alpaca, some refuge posts to give alarmed chooks somewhere higher to go - maybe that's all it needs to keep this lovely idyllic dream alive?

 

lots and lots of love and hugs to you both,

[HENthusiastic]

Thanks guys.

Laurmurf; I really hope you are right, its a difficult thing to test though. When the grass is cut, I guess we could just risk it, but its not knowing the risk thats the hard bit. No way to know if I'm risking loosing a few more Bettys or the whole lot. (They are all idential and so all called Betty). They are just a gentle, friendly, lovely bunch of Bettys.

 

I knew the foxes were a risk; but I never considered what I would do after an attack. I just thought it was a risk that I had to take in order to let them have an acre to free range.

 

I guess another ideal would be to electric fence the whole field; that would cost a fortune; but we could possibly look at doing it bit by bit. Buying another bit of electric fencing when ever we could afford it.

 

Karlotta; it sounds like elec fencing has worked brilliantly for your girls. Is it hard to use properly though? Is it right that the netting can't touch the ground (or anything else) or else it doesn't work? I dont know how i'd manage that in such a lumpy bumpy field.

 

Somebody suggested getting guineafowl as they screach when any intruder (human or fox) comes near. Aparently they have been known to put foxes off their business. They would certainly alert the alpacas at the very least.

[Helly Welly]

The guinea fowl sound good if it really works. I love guinea fowl and covet their feathers

[Seagazer]

I'm sorry to hear about your girls

[HENthusiastic]

The guinea fowl sound good if it really works. I love guinea fowl and covet their feathers

 

thats the million dollar question! I thought alpacas would work!

 

ps If I end up with guinea fowl, I shall post you a feather or two

[Plum]

So sorry HEN, I think I would be heartbroken too. If you electified the field it would keep the alpacas safe from intruders too Lots and lots of hugs.

[Helly Welly]

The guinea fowl sound good if it really works. I love guinea fowl and covet their feathers

 

thats the million dollar question! I thought alpacas would work!

 

ps If I end up with guinea fowl, I shall post you a feather or two

 

I might just take you up on that

[HENthusiastic]

A new an eggciting idea, courtesy of OH.

 

1: We are getting some netting (200 meters!!! ). With this, we are going to section the chickens AND alpacas into the short grass area!

 

because its so much cheaper than electric fencing, we can get loads more of it. That means we can keep the alpacas in that area as well. Therefore alpacas will be able to see fox more clearly if he approaches and fox will have no cover to hide underneath.

 

When the Bettys are shut up at night, the alpacas can go back to having the whole field to roam around in.

 

2. We are going to 'borrow' a friends sheep for a few months over the summer months to help keep the grass short!

 

 

We are bouncing back !!! The dream shall continue the Bettys shall free range once more

 

 

Special note of thanks to TOM123 who posted about cheap netting!

[Old Speckled Hen]

I'm so sorry you lost your chooks.

Don't rely on your camelids

Alpacas have no guarding instinct whatsoever and reports of them confronting foxes are anecdotal. Has anybody actually seen an alpaca chase a fox away?

They like to play and chase and it may be just that, and their comparative size, that frightens foxes away.

This is not a criticism of your set up, just trying to be helpful.

[HENthusiastic]

Alpacas have no guarding instinct whatsoever and reports of them confronting foxes are anecdotal. Has anybody actually seen an alpaca chase a fox away?

They like to play and chase and it may be just that, and their comparative size, that frightens foxes away.

This is not a criticism of your set up, just trying to be helpful.

 

I have to say I'm beginning to think you are right. Now that I'm getting to know them, they seem the most placid, nervous creatures and trying to imagine them chasing and attacking anything seem rather unlikely.

 

Also, a friend was at our field with her son; he started running around and, sure enough I was amazed that they started charging after him! I guess even if they do that, it may scare a fox off.???

 

DA you seem to know your camelids. Do you think that even if they aren't going to chase foxes, that the foxes may still be afraid enough of them to keep away?

 

Thank you for your honesty.

[The Dogmother]

HEN, a friend locally keeps Alpaca with her hens, she is in an area on Edgehill, which is rife with foxes. She hasn't had a fox attack in the 3 years since she had them and has witnessed them chasing foxes off several times..

 

Yes, really!

 

Apparently, in their native country, foxes are known to prey on Cria (baby alpaca) and those lovely, calm chappies can turn into foxterminators!