serenlas Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 At the moment my 3 chickens free range whenever possible. I leave them in their WIR when I'm at work, but I haven't been working that much, so they've been able to get in at least a good few hours per day, more if I'm not working. However as of next week my hours are increasing and I'll be out from 8.30-4 3 days a week, plus 1 shorter day. I'm well aware that it won't be long before it'll be dark shortly after I arrive home and then the chooks won't be able to have any decent free range time at all. Unless I leave them out while I'm at work. Does anyone do this? I haven't personally seen any foxes since I moved here 5 years ago but I know a friend's chickens were killed by one last year and she lives less than half a mile away. Or perhaps 3.5 free range days is sufficient? Their run is a decent size.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 if there's a fox that close personly I wouldn't risk it mine will only get out on a weekend from the end of October the same as the last 2 winters all day sundays but only part of Saturday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I suppose it depends on the size of the run. I have had chickens since June 2010 and know that there are foxes about. We have woodland nearby and at night they have been seen in the street. I usually let my girls out every day from morning until night. Recently I have kept them in a bit more so that they eat more of the layers pellets as there was a egg production problem. I know I am running a real risk letting them roam but I feel it is better for them to possibly have a shorter free life than a longer enclosed one. Also I think that I could easily be in the house when the girls are free ranging and Mr Fox could get them anyway I try to make things as safe as I can by moving the eglu and run closer to the house as the days get shorter. I made a similar choice before which sadly did not end well. Our dwarf rabbit used to have a great time in the garden only going into the hutch at night however after 2 years of doing this he disappeared -we think a sparrow hawk took him It was really sad but at least we could console ourselves that he had a lovely life. It is a really hard decision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serenlas Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 Thanks for your replies. The run is approx 3m x 1.8m I think, for 3 of them. They seem pretty happy in it, or at least they did before they started free ranging.. now they cluck at me and pace excitedly whenever they see me because they think I might let them out They have lots of dirt and Easibed to scratch around in though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I would leave them in the run. They can always freerange at weekends. My ex-landlady used to leave hers out while she went to work. Until one day the fox came... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Ours are out all day. I know foxes have been sighted round and about the town but none near us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I only let mine out when I'm in the garden with them, and as dusk sets in this hasn't even been enough to deter the fox, I've had to chase it away when the girls have been out on the patio when I've been sat with them. I couldn't let them out all day, I'd never forgive myself for the horrible death they'd die if they were caught by one of those mongrels. If they have plenty of run space, and you let them out to free range when you're home, they aren't suffering by not being able to roam unsupervised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serenlas Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 OK thanks, I think I will keep them in. Although as someone mentioned they could just as easily be 'got' by a fox while I'm around, I think I'd hear the commotion & at least be in with a chance of seeing it off. Plus Ginny has almost learnt how to get through the cat flap and I can just picture the chaos she could cause if she got into the house for a day! It is only for a few months that it gets dark at 4pm really. Thanks for the opinions everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I feel the easty reply is to say read the posts on fox attacks a list of what happened. You will be better informed. I actually have never seen a rat, but we are told we are never more than 6ft away from one! And certainly I know they are about. There is probably a reliable source that can tell you the statistics of the fox population. They are always about. I only let mine out when I'm in the garden with them, and as dusk sets in this hasn't even been enough to deter the fox, I've had to chase it away when the girls have been out on the patio when I've been sat with them. I couldn't let them out all day, I'd never forgive myself for the horrible death they'd die if they were caught by one of those mongrels. If they have plenty of run space, and you let them out to free range when you're home, they aren't suffering by not being able to roam unsupervised. I do the same, they don't go out unless I am physically with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serenlas Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 I have rats under my compost bin I've just read a few pages on fox attacks. I'm not convinced that I will ever be able to let my girls out again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I have rats under my compost bin I've just read a few pages on fox attacks. I'm not convinced that I will ever be able to let my girls out again! Don't feel like that, my next door neighbour feeds a large den of foxes at the end of her back garden, and at weekends and when the evenings are longer I've been able to let them roam about no problem - though if I need to go inside, even to use the loo, I will shut them back in. For my own peace of mind, it takes a second for a fox to come over the fence, and a little more than that for them to get one of the chickens, I couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be any casualties if I wasn't in the garden, so I choose to restrict their FR to being supervised, and I've not lost one yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 We'd never let ours FR if we were out of the house, in fact they are in their WIR for most of the time and I don't think being enclosed in a run means they aren't happy girls. We have a 24ft by 7ft main run which is slabbed and covered with rapport and full of perches and other things to occupy them. We also have a tunnel from the back of the main run that leads onto a secure flower bed, least it was a flower bed before the girls ate all the shrubs. I think as the weather gets colder it's probably even more likely that foxes are going to be looking for food. We have had our girls since July 2010 and only once have we seen a fox in the garden and if the girls hadn't been locked in that fox would have had them all. Just because people don't see the foxes doesn't mean they aren't close by. Someone near us had a fox walk into her house in the middle of the day, they seem to be quite brazen at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I work 4 days a week part time some times out for 6 hours a day.My 3 girls are in their WIR 12ft x 6ft while we are out , FR the rest of the time .I have not seen foxes yet but as our house backs onto a wood they must be there. The bottom half of the garden is fenced off by wire fencing and once when we were in poppy the naughty one tried to squeeze through the slight gap I did not know was there and got trapped. The other 2 knew there was a problem and were trying to tell me .Luckily I was in to go and rescue her , so it is not only other animals that are a worry it is chickens trying to escape and forv their own safety .If she had escaped some one might have had a chicken of fate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Well, I must admit I let my girls FR all day whether I am there or not. I'm not going to say a fox attack is never going to happen, but it's pretty unlikely here. So far the only threat to my hens has been my dog, who managed to get into the run earlier this week and attack one of my hens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I'm another who lets their's free range all day every day. But I'm doing this in the knowledge that there is a risk. I' ve decided to take that risk balancing it against the pleasure they take in being able to roam- especially my four ex-bats. The only exceptions are my three tiny bantams who rarely free range because in their case, there is a high chance they could make a tasty mouthful for the local and very active sparrowhawk - or the buzzards and red kite who circle the garden daily. I think everyone has to make their own decision based on their own risk assessment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devon dumpling Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Hi I have had hens for 3.5 years and they too free range all day every day even when we are out. They live in a basic eglu without any add-on run. We weighed up the risk of living next to fields and woodland where we know foxes must roam (though only spotted twice in 10 years) but they love being free to choose what to eat, dust bathe, etc so whatever happens they have had a wonderful hen life! A neighbour's dog and her puppy did get into our garden and attack them earlier this year, killing one hen but we still have two. We are in the country and probably have less of a problem with day-time foxes than in urban areas. I really think they much prefer roaming free, but if you have ex-batts apparently they have to live in a space the size of an A4 sheet so your eglu is probably luxury whether in or out! Hope you can come to a good decision that's right for you anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
