LittleOwl Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Our 6 girls and Rico the Cockerel have been happily free ranging in the paddock attached to our house for a good few weeks now - they came to live with us in December. They love it and don't go very far. They are only allowed to free range when we are home though. At 4:30 this morning we heard a fox screaming in the woods by the house (we live in a rural area). It wasn't beside the paddock with the chooks in, it was on the other side of the house, but close enough to wake us all. We went out with a torch to see what we could see and it shut up. My question is, what do we do now with the chooks? I haven't let them out of their cube extension yet today, and I feel awful about that as they love rooting around I have posted ub the Eglu/Run area asking about WIR in case we have to go that route, but mean while what should we do? Could the fox have just been passing through? Should we just keep them in the extension and let them out for a coupleof 30 minute sessions a day with us fully watching them? Should we let them out as usual and just keep up with our watching them from the window every 5 to 10 minutes? There is no fence around the paddock but they don't really leave it. I will be getting OH to pee around the area now and may get a Foxwatch. We have 2 dogs, one of which is a male so that may help. But mainly I want to know.....what should I do with the chickens until we are able to make a decision about and obtain a WIR? Thank you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Sorry to hear about the fox, but it is the season now for cubs to be born, so they are very active. I think you've answered your question yourself; I'd keep them in the cube run until you can fix up either a walk in run or a secured paddock for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I'd second what Claret has said Having learnt the hard way and lost three of my darlings to the fox, until you can sort out something more permanent out I would not advise letting them FR unless you can fully supervise them . As I discovered to my cost, the fox can easily take a chicken in the space of five minutes. Save the money you were going to spend on Foxwatch and put it towards either electric fencing if you have the space? (sadly I don't) or a WIR, those are the only two ways you have any reasonable chance of knowing your girls (and boy) are safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilda-and-evadne Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 We have 2 dogs, one of which is a male so that may help. The last time a fox tried to have a go at my hens during their supervised free-ranging, the dog was in the garden as well. It was my presence, not the dog's, that saved the hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilda-and-evadne Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Could the fox have just been passing through? It could have been but what would you do if it turned out that it had been "casing the joint" rather than passing through? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleOwl Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 Could the fox have just been passing through? It could have been but what would you do if it turned out that it had been "casing the joint" rather than passing through? I agree. I guess I was just idly speculating as the Gamekeeper said they do pass through from time to time and I was trying to gauge their behaviour. I suppose I was weighing everything up in my head....I know so many of you have been through this, and even though I know I'm doing the safest thing for them by keeping them confined right now and getting them a WIR, I also feel bad for curtailing the activity that they were loving to do Thanks all for your comments....it helps to have them, makes me feel better. It's such a shame to have so much open space for them and have to keep them locked up isn't it? OH is getting home from work in half an hour so we will sit outside and let them out into their netted pen to run around while we watch them closely. h, and when I mentioned that the dog might help, I meant maybe on the peeing around his territiry front! Apart from barking loudly I'm not sure whether they'd know what to do - hopefully I'll never have to find out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Until you get a WIR consider electrifying your netting - that way your birds can have some ranging in a pen. Its worked for me and my neighbours. We often both keep our flocks in the run till 09.00ish and make sure they are back in the run about 30mins - 1 hour before dusk for extra safety. There is no point in trying to keep an eye on the birds from indoors, you'll miss the bad event - it only takes a few seconds to kill a bird. Mine only FR at this time of year when I am actively working outdoors and can physically see them, but I know even this is no absolute safeguard. Where I used to live foxes would routinely sunbathe in our garden - they have very little fear of humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 It sounds like your set up would be perfect for electric fencing - if you have lots of space you can move it about to keep them on grass all the time - it works a treat and definately keeps the foxes away - not to mention much cheaper/more free range/less impact than a WIR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleOwl Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 It sounds like your set up would be perfect for electric fencing - if you have lots of space you can move it about to keep them on grass all the time - it works a treat and definately keeps the foxes away - not to mention much cheaper/more free range/less impact than a WIR. Sounds like I will have to research this in terms of cost etc. All we have at the moment is a 50metre net and poles moveable thing ordered from Omlet. So we'd maybe need another of those and the electric bit? I shall have a root around on here for info, but any other advice would be appreciated The issue we have with the netting at the moment is that it's hard to attach it to the cube as Rico particularly can now land on top of the Eglu and get out....not sure whether the girls can though, so long as we keep the door tethered back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 The trick is to make a ring with the netting with the cube/eglu in the centre so it's as far away from the fence as poss. Several of my girls can jump over but in practice it happens once in a blue moon. In addition to what you have, you'll need an energiser (i use a hotline gemini 80), an earth stake, a battery (two is better so you are never without a charged one - I got one from local caravan shop and another from Scats which was a bit cheaper), a charger (i got mine from halfords) and a tester (unless you fancy grabbing it to test if it's working!. Some extra posts might be good too as it pays to keep it taught so it doesn't short through the grass etc. I got most of my bits from Flyte So Fancy who seemed quite well priced. Hope this helps a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Afraid I agree with the sentiments above - the dog will not prevent the fox from getting to your hens, and I doubt very much if he was 'just passing'. Just checking the menu, more like! It is sad but it's a fact of life - I only let mine free-range if I am in the garden with them. In the first year of hen-keeping I let them out one evening at about 6.00 pm when I got in from work, nipped upstairs to take off my work trousers and put my jeans on, looked out of the window ... and there was a ginger-coated gentleman approaching from the end of the garden. It couldn't have been more than three minutes since I had left them. After that, I didn't take any chances. Electric fencing sounds good and a lot of people on here recommend it, not tried it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleOwl Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 Thanks all, and thanks Karlotta for your explanation, which I understand! We had almost decided on a WIR, and had even identified where to put it, but having seen advice here, and searched some of the "electric fencing" topics on the forums I'm leaning towards the electric fencing. We already have the 50 m netting from Omlet so I guess that would save some money to use that. And more importantly, I'd much rather they were out and about, even if they are only in a smaller space. However, OH has a couple of misgivings and I can't find the definitive answers here (though I know they will be there somewhere!). Firstly, he is concerned as to how the fox won't just be able to crawl underneath the fence. I saw on another thread here something about the current not going through the bottom bit of netting, and needing to keep the netting taut for this, but I don't really understand. Also, he is adamant that he has seen them fly over the fence we already have (the 4ft netting from Omlet). I have, but only when it is on a steep slope and they've used that to help them, but he reckons it happens on the flat. Would they simply get used to the space and not bother, or would we need to clip their wings? have been loathe to as I figured if they needed to get away from anything they were better to have any flying ability they could muster, and we would still want to FR them at times in the Summer when we were outdoors all the time. Where would we put the cube? Rico the cockerel can jump onto the roof to jump out. Lastly, our paddocks have no trees, they are just meadow grass with nothing in them. The nice scrubby stuff and bushes that they love to root around in are on steep slopes and so not suitable for this. As I understand it they're not keen on just wide open skies? Thank you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 No worries, glad to help. You do need to keep it taught along the bottom to stop it flopping down on the ground and shorting out so this stops the fox getting under. I think in practice a fox would come up and stick his nose against it - get a shock and not investigate further down. I have foxes living next door (had a tiny cub in the garden just before I installed the fence) and have had no incursions. With regards to the flying if you put the cube right in the middle they'll be less likely to try to fly out. I did clip one wing on my flightiest girls but haven't bothered re-clipping after moults as they don't really bother. I have the odd chicken fly out on a very rare occasion (not off te cube) - sometimes I come home and find one wandering about trying to work out how to get back in, but it's very rare. I think the foxes come into the garden less often because they have been shocked in the past. Lots of my girls still jump up on top of the cubes to sunbathe. I have big dogs (Newfoundlands) also and I think the combination of the fence and the dogs means it isn't worth the risk to the fox to try coming in. I think if you keep the cube run with tarp etc on top for shelter they will be ok out in the open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleOwl Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 Thanks again Karlotta Ok, I think I'm being a bit thick here.....having had a brief look at Flyte So Fancy they have 50metre electric netting - so does that mean I have to buy a different set of netting to what I have already? I just have the "normal" 50m netting ordered via Omlet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 The omlet netting is electrifiable (if that's a word!) I use it for my bantams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleOwl Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 If it's not a word it should be!!! Thank you Karlotta! I'm thinking this could be a goer. I think it'll cost about the same as the WIR run we had looked at buying from CMS, but I do love the thought of the chooks still rooting around in the grass. Off to research some more and price up some bits before OH gets in later so I can persuade him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I was told to smear the electric fence with something pongy and tasty (I used lardy/dripping/fat stuff) to attract the fox to lick it off and thereby get a shock on one of his most delicate places..the tongue! I don't know if it really works but I do do it, it makes me feel better! You can put fencing on uneven ground but you need to fill in any depressions that in theory the fox could use to get under the fence. My sense is, though, that once shocked, twice as cautious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 My sense is, though, that once shocked, twice as cautious. I think this is exactly right! My dogs touched it once each and haven't tried again. They know that while I'm in and out of the area that it's not turned on and Martha (the younger of the two) sometimes sticks her nose through to say hello. However she tried this to say hello to a new Poland the other day and got a shock as I'd just turned it back on. She gave an almighty yelp, ran off growling at the scary beast that had got her and hid inside for about half an hour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Sorry to hi-jack this discussion but I am in a similar situation and was wondering how safe electric fencing is? I have 3 pre-school children and 3 cats and would worry that they would be put off chickens for life if they accidentally touched the live fence. I should add that my OH is against electric fencing because of the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 no different than telling pre schoolers not to touch the fire because it is hot, the dog poo in the park because it's yukky! they'd only touch it the once. plus .... you could if they are everso tiny put some of that attractive orange mesh they use around building sites, to keep the littlies away from the netting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleOwl Posted April 5, 2010 Author Share Posted April 5, 2010 Hi Chicken Bark, my thread and I am perfectly happy to have you hijack it! We put in our electric fencing last week. We don't have kids, but have 2 dogs and 2 cats. Both have been zapped, and although they were affected they are just keeping a healthy distance, but not fearful if that makes sense? Re the kids - well, I guess it depends how old the kids are. If they are toddlers who run around the garden freely then I'd be a tad concerned it would surprise them as they couldn't be expected to understand to avoid it. If there were older kids then they should be able to understand to avoid it - I understand from others the zap doesn't really hurt - and it most certainly doesn't cause damage to someone. As a compromise you could switch off the fence while the kids are playing there, and there is less chance the fox would get the chooks when they were there I suppose (no guarantee I know, but better than nothing) and switch it on when the kids aren't there. I mjust say it's put our mind at rest to have it there during the night - and of course the kids wouldn't be affected then. So I'd say have it, and if you're really worried you could at least just use it when your children aren't in the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Thanks LittleOwl for letting me be cheeky. Good ideas from you and sandy. Just need to convince my OH now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
