Unsecure chicken perches

[CatieB]

I am in a quandry - we bought our with the standard run and 3 girls with the intention that we would allow the girls to free range but now I've read so many horror stories about foxes.

 

We do not have the space to have electric fence or a WIR of any accepable area but are surrounded by fields (not ours) and a river bank - the girls could have free run and as much space as they desired. It is completely unrealistic that we supervise them in all reality other than a real minimum of time - both working long hours etc etc.

 

However I REALLY don't like the idea of my poor girls in the cube run all the time and now feel stupid. We don't even have the space to move the cube to many alternative positions regularly - maybe 2 or 3 different positions backwards and forward.

 

As I've said I've read the horror stories - please don't be mean but pragmatic DH has suggested that its worth the risk for their freedom - anyone ?

[C&T]

It is a really tough call, and ultimately it is a decision only you can make.

 

I only have experience of "town" foxes - and know they now have no or very very little fear of humans any more, and it doesn't matter what time of day or night. Recently saw one walking down the main high street on a Friday night, past all the heaving pubs!! Loads of people - completely unphased!

 

I have heard of/seen others keeping chickens free ranging in rural areas. But personally, if you are going to try that, I think it needs to be a very large area, with plenty of ways for the chooks to get up high in case they need to escape. Little changes like no wing clipping, to ensure a chook has a chance of getting away from any threats (be it fox, or dogs or cats). But it is still a risk, and once the fox has found where he/she can get an easy dinner, it will come back again and again and again...

 

Currently, our chooks only free range when we are out there, but we do have a with extended run for 2 chooks, so they have plenty of room, and we make sure that they have greens to peck at etc. They have a good half hour most days out and about, and longer at the weekends (it's amazing what jobs in the garden I can find for myself!). They seem happy, and that is main thing.

[ISCA]

It is a difficult choice and there are arguments for both options, but it has to be your decision. And no one has the right to berate you for whatever you choose to do! I would say you have a high risk of foxes being surrounded by fields. I appreciate space is a problem for you. Would you have room for a run extension at all (another metre of run)?

 

I am in an urban area and keep them in the run and only let them FR supervised but as said above urban foxes have little fear of man, so I am apprehensive even when I am in the garden with them. Your rural foxes will be more wary but leaving them alone unsupervised is a risk, but one some feel worth taking.

 

Other than the run extension I have no other practical advice to add, sorry.

[Jools]

It very much depends on the risk tbh. Does anyone else nearby keep chickens? I'd be inclined to be guided by what they do.

 

There are foxes and there are foxes. I believe that urban foxes are a different beast to their rural brethren in that they operate 24 hrs a day and have little fear of man. I'm lucky to live in a rural location with plenty of wildlife, including foxes. Numbers are controlled by shooting, though never to zero, only to a level where the farmers don't have to worry too much about their stock. I've very occasionally seen them during the day, but they are usually nocturnal, by which time any self-respecting chicken is safely tucked up in bed.

 

I've been free-ranging mine for the 7+ years I've kept them as everyone else locally does the same. My only loss has been to one of my dogs.

[Chucky Mama]

My girls free range all day. We have a garden surrounded by high walls (12foot at least) and only 1 small area by our side gate where a fox could get in which is very unlikely (but not impossible). We are in a very rural area but in a small group of houses. Fox problems in our village tend to be those houses that back onto fields. Our rural fox population so far appears much too shy to venture closer to other houses. We do however have reports of a vixen in the village which is obviously desperately hungry so I am keeping a closer eye out. They are always shut up securely at night. I really hope that I don't get caught out during the day but they have enjoyed nearly 2 years of freedom and I think if they could speak they would consider the risk worth taking given our circumstances.

[lillybettybabs]

We have a small garden backing onto fields,

I have bought some electric netting and pegged it around the edge of the lawn so my girls can go free range when someone is at home, I do put them back into the run if we go out though just to be safe.

[Griffin]

There are foxes and there are foxes. I believe that urban foxes are a different beast to their rural brethren in that they operate 24 hrs a day and have little fear of man. I'm lucky to live in a rural location with plenty of wildlife, including foxes. Numbers are controlled by shooting, though never to zero, only to a level where the farmers don't have to worry too much about their stock. I've very occasionally seen them during the day, but they are usually nocturnal, by which time any self-respecting chicken is safely tucked up in bed.

 

I've been free-ranging mine for the 7+ years I've kept them as everyone else locally does the same. My only loss has been to one of my dogs.

 

I agree with nearly every word of that, except for the only fox I've ever seen has been late at night. I live just yards away from fields as far as the eye can see, if there are foxes out there they certainly don't venture near the houses. My girls free range all day in my garden and I've only ever lost one to one of my dogs. I accept that one day my luck might run out and I may lose some to a fox but I wouldn't ever wish that I'd kept a smaller flock in a run instead. If the worst did happen then I have means at my disposal to get rid of a bothersome fox. And then I'd probably carry on as before.

[CatieB]

Thanks for all your words of advice. It has really helped to hear different perspectives.

 

My nearest neighbours about half a mile away all let their girls fully free range. I understand that the farmers do pay someone to get rid of the foxes although obviously that only mitigates the risk not alleviates it. I have only been here 4 years and seen a fox twice, once in the day along the river bank probably about 50metres from my house. It didn't come near but would the smell of the chickens now encourage it if it came back?

 

If I were to buy an extension it would still be a relatively small space and then I definately wouldn't have room to move it.

 

Thanks everyone

 

PS how do you do the signaure with symbols in like

[Jools]

One of my rare daytime fox sightings was from my bedroom window one morning. I only had my bantams in the garden at the time, but I watched the most beautiful dog fox in the field right next to my house playing with some crows. They'd got something to eat, he kept pretending to chase them off. Then when he got bored with that, he rolled around in the sun, had a bit of a groom, then trotted off up the field. He obviously wasn't hungry, but that's the point really.

 

However, only you can decide if you can free-range your chickens. You could try some supervised time to start with, until you're confident enough, or not. I suppose you won't know unless you try it. I do know that when I first got mine, I was apprehensive everytime I came home, but now I don't give it a second thought. I do realise that one of these days, my luck may run out, but til then ......

[sadietoo]

I have to agree there are foxes and foxes. We are on the edge of a local nature reserve, but it is quite built up, and so we have rural foxes who are learning to be urban.I know many others with chickens in a more rural setting who seem to have less problems. I had my first girls and let them free range unattended all the time for over 7 months without any problems at all. Then the foxes found them, whilst we were away on holiday, and sadly we have been plagued ever since.

 

Only you can take the decision about what you do, but I wouldn't worry too much about keeping them cooped up at times when you can't be with them. Whilst free-ranging all the time is a lovely idea, they are already having a much better life with you than the average chicken

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I let my girls freerange (behind Omlet netting) when I'm at home but I don't watch them all the time. In 3 years I've only seen 2 foxes (not near my girls though) so I take the risk.

 

Here are instructions on how to do your signature .

[Egluntyne]

Ditto to ANH's post. I live in an urban seting, and regularly see foxes in the very early morning, but never during business hours so to speak.

 

All you can do is suck it and see. I'd probably take the risk if I were in your situation. You can always have a rethink if needs be.

 

Would they be completely unenclosed?

 

My only two 'what if's' are that I'm wondering about them finding their way home, and about them laying their eggs in hidden places.

[CatieB]

I think when I am feeling braver I will suck it and see... also I'm hoping that by then they will know where home is so they can make their way back and come home to lay??? maybe that is being hopeful - do they lay anywhere even if used to a certain place.

 

I probably have time as they are about 16 weeks and I want to get our cats used to them supervised first as one of our boys Tom is a real hunter and he'd probably feel my girls are fair game. I did let them out for two short periods yesterday but supervised them.

 

I want them to get used to me too as they are still unsure at the moment and spooked by anything they are getting braver though and came straight out the second time

 

Thanks everyone

[ISCA]

I think if one decides to free range ones chickens it has to be a decision one can live with and then be able to relax whilst they are out free ranging. I am new to the chicken-keeping world and admit I have been spooked by the fox-attack stories on here. When my chickens are out of their run I am on teneterhooks and even popping into the house for a minute when they are out in the garden gets me all anxious, so I could never allow them to FR without supervision and remain sane myself!

 

If you can let them out and happily go off elsewhere without fretting, then that answers part of the question surely? If you let them out, walk away but then worry constantly and can think of nothing else but the safety of your chickens, then FR is probably not for you? FR is great for the chickens but you have to consider how it impacts on you also.

 

Hope that makes sense

[coco]

I let my girls FR in an area fenced off with Omlet netting when I am at home. We live in a semi rural area, houses to the front and sides with fields at the back. We have lived here fifteen years and I have only ever seen a fox once, that was three cubs in the field behind us and that was many years ago. I am aware of the risk but I feel the enjoyment the girls get from being out of the run is worth the risk. Its all down to personal choice I think.

[Mollie333]

Im sorry to worry you. But i think you have foxes, living with fields..

how about a run extention, then whenever, a short time of supervised fr, if you can?

hope everything goes smoothly. x