Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[chickensuep]

Have had 2 my hens for a year and a half now and they FR from morning till dust and never a sight of a fox since I put 2 Foxwatch devices in the garden. That was until 3 days ago. About 11am I heard them making some noise and looked out the window to see 2 large foxes. The girls had run to the front of the garden and the foxes were still at the back. I think that the foxwatches may have saved them as the foxes were looking a bit startled and the girls had not been attacked. Since then the foxes come back everymorning and night, so clearly the foxwatch doesn't bother them that much. Will eventually get a WIR but that is some months away yet. The only thing I can think of is to buy the device omlet sell to electrify the poultry netting and on the other side of the garden and at the back to put Prikka-Strip spikes on top of the fence - that is if my neighbour agrees. I wonder if anyone has tried either of these methods? The girls are now locked away in the run 24/7.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Guest

[Patricia W]

I've got the Omlet netting and have just bought a mains energiser to electrify it. In the meantime, my lot who usually free range are locked in the eglu run. As they won't set foot in that snow I don't feel bad about confining them. I'm doing it as we've had fox sightings a little too close for my liking.

 

There are people on here who successfully use electric fences rather than a WIR. Know the foxes round here I don't think anything stuck to the top of a fence would deter them.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Tricia

[Lydia]

The foxes are desperate and therefore bolder at the moment because of the weather. I have foxwatches and they have kept the foxes away until this latest cold spell when we've had visits at night and once during the day.

 

I've never relied on my Foxwatches and never let my lot freerange without one of us actually being in the garden with them. Foxes are clever opportunists and you will not be able to get out fast enough to stop a fox attack.

[RedReader]

Ive just had an email from a friend saying that her husband has seen 2 foxes trying to have a go at a cat. He managed to chase the foxes off, but in the mean time 7 cats have gone missing in our area of mid-sussex!!! My cat hasn't moved off the sofa all morning but I wanted to warn other omleteers that the girls may be even more attractive to foxes right now

[sadietoo]

Fox absolutely not bothered by my Foxwatch at all...motivated entirely by rumbling stomach last Saturday when he/she was seen standing right in front of it!!!! I wouldn't rely on the Foxwatch and as I have said previously I won't be replacing mine when/if it breaks.

 

I didn't even let my two free range last weekend at all even when I was there as I don't have eyes in the back of my head and I was certain that the minute I turned my back he/she'd be back and they are soo quick !!

[rufusrooster]

just received my foxwatch yesterday and set it up today when i got home from work, its not in its optimum position yet as i just wanted to get it up and running,

to be honest im not impressed at all its never worth the £40 ive paid for it and no way does it have a 40' sensing range, 30' at best,

i shall keep it for now and see how it goes, i suppose i may never know if it does any good or not.

ive lived here for 26 years and never seen a fox in the garden until about 4 years ago(long before we had chickens) used to see him/her sat at the end of the garden then toddle off through the hedge, only occasionaly mind, anyway we havent seen it (if its the same one) for well over a year until last week, turned up twice that i know of, in the morning just after i'd been out and let them out the cube into the wir, just gone back in the house and heard all the commotion, thats when i decided to get the foxwatch,

i will have to be extra vigilant when i start to let them out more with better weather,

im pretty sure he/she can't get into the wir but can a fox worry the hens to death and can they do any harm through the 1" square weldmesh ?

[Alis girls]

Where do you find the extra products on Omlet site? I can only find Eglu etc. We will be orderign Eglu go when bad weather has gone but cant find any of the bits mentioned in shop part. thanks NCY

[chickensuep]

Go into shop then click on chicken keeping - second icon down on lefthand side. This then gives serval subcatagorys which you can click on.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I didn't even let my two free range last weekend at all even when I was there as I don't have eyes in the back of my head and I was certain that the minute I turned my back he/she'd be back and they are soo quick !!

I stay right by mine, happily they are happy with half an hour. Got 2 I have to carry over the snowy path to a patch of grass or the dust bath down the garden!

[docsquid]

I've only been giving mine 1/2 hour with me in the garden with them over the last few days and they have been happy with that because there was lots of snow which they don't like. Now the snow is melting and there are bits of grass and mud they really didn't want to go back in. I let them out for 2 hours round midday where there is less likelihood of foxes being around, and stayed in the kitchen watching them all the time.

 

I do have a Foxwatch, the range isn't what they say even with a new battery. I'm getting some Omlet chicken netting to keep the garden a bit more tidy as spring approaches, and am thinking about electrifying it, but I'm worried about the cats, particularly Willoughby our old thick one (he's 15 with learning difficulties). We'll have to see.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Just to say, Mr Fox won't care if it is 11 am noon or 2 pm.

Stay by the soor and watch them foxes are REAL hungy AND fast!!!

I kit out in ski pants and full out door gear!

[docsquid]

Just to say, Mr Fox won't care if it is 11 am noon or 2 pm.

Stay by the soor and watch them foxes are REAL hungy AND fast!!!

I kit out in ski pants and full out door gear!

 

It's unfortunately something I don't have time to do and even if I had time to do it, DH would rapidly get rid of the chickens if he thought I was "wasting time" on them like this - he is pretty fed up that I get up at 7.30 to feed them as it is!

 

DH is adamant that foxes won't come at all, but I know that they are more likely to visit at dawn or dusk than during the middle of the day as this is when some of my wildlife friends who go out to watch and count foxes do their work, and when we have seen them at our wildlife site. I keep a remote camera there and they only appear in late afternoon, at night, or early morning on the cameras. They might come around the middle of the day but it is less likely.

 

We've never seen a fox here and DH has lived here for over 30 years. We are being as vigilant and careful as possible, but we can't keep them cooped up in the cube run forever as they are so obviously unhappy (except when it's snowing). I'd rather that they could free range than were 100% safe so we have decided to err on the side of happy chickens rather than complete safety. They are relatively safe in our garden anyway although a determined fox could get them. We are prepared to take the risk in the unlikely event of a fox visiting - if we do lose our girls then we'll have to think again.

[Alis girls]

Thanks for extra info

[chickensuep]

Thamks for all the input. Electric netting definately sounds the best option but unfortunately I don't have the room in my garden to protect them on all sides. Has anyone tried the Prikka-Strip?