Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[migsy]

I'm just wondering how much I should let my chooks free range. Some people say only let them FR if you are in the garden but the amount of time I am in the garden is small and will get less when the cold weather comes. I live in an urban area and I am worried about foxes but I feel sorry for them being stuck in their run. The neighbours behind me are often in their garden and I wonder if that would help in keeping foxes away (and they have a big dog). I'm wondering whether it is worth risking letting them out more if I am in the house. Does anyone have any views/experience?

[Christian]

I guess it depends on how many hens you have and what size run. 2 hens in a standard eglu should be ok full time if you provide them with something to do. Half a raw cabbage to peck at, roosting branches to sit on, etc etc.

 

If you are in any doubt about foxes during the day, then I wouldn't risk it, unless I had electric fencing to protect them.

[migsy]

I have 3 hens in an Eglu Go run. I have ordered the Omlet netting to restrict them to certain parts of the garden. It can be energised but I don't know whether it is worth it as I am worried about foxes jumping off the garden fence into the enclosure. I don't know if foxes jump distances off fences or if they like to slip down them like cats do. The furthest I could position the fence would be about 1m from the 6 foot boundary fence. If it is worth me electrifying the fence then I will do. I haven't seen or heard a fox for a few years - that is not to say they are not around though!

[Roobaloo]

I would sooner leave them in their run if you can't watch them. Urban foxes are a lot braver than country foxes and would probably run the risk of being seen for a nice easy meal.

 

Could you extend their run at all??

[migsy]

I asked Omlet about an extension but they don't do them for Go's.

[Christian]

They don't make then yet Siobhan, but are planning them.

 

Difficult to advise really. Foxes will do whatever it takes to get to hens, so the Omlet netting electrified would be an answer. It is still possible that the fox would jump from the fence into the netted area, but then how would it get out? Foxes can sense the electric current, so would usually avoid the area.

[migsy]

Thanks Christian! I have just bought them a cage thing that you can put s"Ooops, word censored!"s in and hang from the run. I think that the electrification of the fence would be better than not - it is expensive though, but then again, lots of hobbies are expensive!

[oneyolktoanother]

I would sooner leave them in their run if you can't watch them. Urban foxes are a lot braver than country foxes and would probably run the risk of being seen for a nice easy meal.

 

Could you extend their run at all??

 

i agree we never use to see foxes around but now sometimes 1 sleeps on the shed, i only let them fr when i'm out with them as i've heard stories when i go pick the meat up from the butchers up the road from me on a saturday and a women had 3 hens let them fr the second day she had them and lost them all to a fox.

Could you electric fencing?

[Lizzie50]

My chickens are in an 8ft run but husband today bought barrier fencing and has put this up out and around the run so that I can let chickens out for a little while to explore a bigger area of the garden whilst still being enclosed. When I am at work I will keep them in their run but do people think it is ok if I am in and out the garden over the weekend to let them explore this bigger area?

[migsy]

It is a tricky one isn't it? I think you need to weigh the risk against the hens having fun and freedom. It seems that foxes are always a risk.

[rachael_farnsworth]

It is a really difficult one. I've got two girls in a Classic with run extension and they get an hour or so roaming about when I'm home - I do feel a bit rotten that sometimes that's all they get but given that our fences are only 4 feet high on each side and foxes have been seen in the area to let them out unsupervised would be far worse for them.

 

They've got a dust bath (shunned in favour of one of my raised veggie beds! *sigh*), a couple of perches and a food ball - these all seem to keep them happy and I collect a big flowerpot full of weeds for them each evening which they throw about merrily. I think sometimes we project on to them and they're really quite happy without needing to free range everywhere.

[chicken bark]

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that chickens are quite happy being confined to a run if they are never let out. I got the impression that the best thing was either to confine them all the time or let them free range all the time.

 

I'm not sure how practical that is but I can see where the author was coming from. Mine free range 99% of the time. They get kept in for a few hours once a fortnight when the grass gets cut.

 

I think chickens are very adaptable though and just like to tug at the old heart strings a bit.

[migsy]

I think Chickenbark has a good point. I have noticed that my 3 hens are perfectly happy in the run. They get on very well and display no behavioural problems. However, my Speckledy paces up and down the run when she is put back after free ranging but she never does this if I don't let her out.

[louise62]

I'm thinking about buying the netting and poles from Omlet as my girls aren't able to free-range yet. Has anyone had chickens getting caught up in the netting?

[JulesL]

I've got 3 girls, two who are new so not used to free ranging and my old girl who was allowed to free range over the winter but is now confined to the WIR which is about 8ft by 5ft because my little girl is crawling so I'm trying to limit the chook poo on the grass. The new girls are quite happy pottering around but my old girl constantly paces up and down wanting to get out. I wouldn't mind too much if they would just leave my busy lizzies and fushias alone We are planning on getting the poles and netting too from Omlet so that we can corner the top part of the garden off which doesn't contain any plants but plenty of grass for them to potter around in.

 

I got such satisfaction through from letting them free range in the garden. It was so nice to sit on the patio and just watch them going about their business and I love watching them sunbathe in the middle of the lawn! They also sit at our french doors and peck at the glass to get our attention as though they are saying they want some treats!

[OllieNLucys Mum]

This is a continual worry for me too.

I keep my chooks at my stable yard. Last summer they were babies so I let them free range whilst I was there and they loved going all over the place in the barns etc but they didn't stray more than 2 or 3 hundred yards from the main yard area. I hated penning them back in their cube run as even with the extension it is pitifully small.

 

I therefore bought 50 metres of electric netting this has enabled them to be out all day everyday and they just get put in the cube run at night. To answer your question none of them has ever got tangled in the netting although Ollie challanged it to start with and got a few shocks. The only problem I have had is keeping the voltage high enough I started off with a small gemini mains energiser which was fine in the dry but in the wet every blade of grass lowered it to below 3000 which is needed as a fox deterrent. I've now got a huge electric shepherd which delivers 7000 volts and its worked so far. Mr fox is definitely around as he buries a lot of his headless trophies in my sand school but I think he gets them from my neighbours who give theirs more freedom.

 

Its a tough one though isn't it. They really do get great enjoyment from being totally free but I personally feel unless I am there I just can't risk it.

[kevf1]

I'm thinking about buying the netting and poles from Omlet as my girls aren't able to free-range yet. Has anyone had chickens getting caught up in the netting?

 

 

i use the chicken netting from omlet... saves me veg and stuff they do stick their heads through and try and reach further out no matter what you put in the run.. they always want the other bit they can't have... females you see

 

but i only let em out when we are home... most of the day at weekends and just in the evening during the week.. they don't seem to suffer

[Cazx]

Im having to keep my girls in their run now when Im not in the garden

 

There is a fox family that is living in the small area between the houses and they are very brave. The other evening I was saying 'goodnight' to the girls and put my hand down thinking I was stroking my cat, who often comes to say 'goodnight' to the girls too, only to find it was Mummy fox! Very brazen of her. Now Im paranoid they might try something if the girls are left to roam. I have an extended run and things for them to 'do' and they do seem quite happy. Id rather they be safe than me be sorry

[jomeena]

We have lots of foxes about at the moment. A vixen and 3 cubs living in next doors garden. The only time I let the girls out is when myself and the dog are out there. Even then I have to stay alert as they arnt scared of us.

[poppers77]

Hi there,

 

We have a wooden house with an integral run underneath & 3 sussex girls ( & 1 boy for a little while longer!). Originally i left them in the run while i was at work, but as they got bigger built them an extra run , then just let them roam in the garden. They've been fine. We live in an urban area & our garden has 6-10ft walls / fnece & hedging. I've only seen a fox once years ago late at night. However i've gone back to leaving them in therun while i'm at work becuase 1 of my new girls got terrorised by a local cat & dissapeared for 2 days .

 

I'm carrying on as we are until they are all fully grown then we need to make the decision what do do as it's fine now the nights are long as they get plenty of FR in the evenings , but that won't be able to happen once winter comes round again.

 

It's hard one isn't it? Trouble is they look so happy FR as long as you protect your plants!! I came home one day to find them all looking at me very guiltiy as they'd rampaged my rubekias!!

 

Best of wishes,

pops

[migsy]

I've recently installed the chicken netting from Omlet. It works well and avoids chicken poo all over the garden! No entanglements yet!

[docsquid]

Always difficult. We FR them all day when we are at home. My husband runs his business from home and we are back and forth through the garden to his workshop all day in all weathers. That, plus three cats who have been known to attack foxes, and Omlet netting to keep them off the vegetable patch.

 

We realise they are still at risk, but they are so very happy FR and so grumbly when they aren't that, although the run is large enough for them, we decide to take the risk. If a fox attacks, we'll have to think again, and probably get a WIR so they can spend more time inside but with a bit more room.

[BarbaraJ]

Always difficult. We FR them all day when we are at home. My husband runs his business from home and we are back and forth through the garden to his workshop all day in all weathers. That, plus three cats who have been known to attack foxes, and Omlet netting to keep them off the vegetable patch.

 

We realise they are still at risk, but they are so very happy FR and so grumbly when they aren't that, although the run is large enough for them, we decide to take the risk. If a fox attacks, we'll have to think again, and probably get a WIR so they can spend more time inside but with a bit more room.

 

I'm the same i work from home and have kept hens for over 2 yrs now. Originally they were FRing over the whole garden most of the day and back in WIR at night.

Now they have bigger WIR and permanent fenced in area about 12' x 12' and they don't go in rest of garden. I've never seen or heard a fox and choose to give them the freedom to roam and get the sun in their extended area when I'm at home.