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

[Great eggscape]

My 2 hens have a eglu classic with a standard run, they have free ranged everyday since we got them in Aug. We have just had 2 weeks away and they have been in the run everyday but they have been miserable. I have 3 dogs which hopefully deter any foxes and I have not seen any in the 3 years we have lived here. I have let them free range everyday without me being around but as the nights draw in I can't guarantee I will be home before dusk.

I know a fox can come at any time throughout the day so in theory does it matter I'm not back before dusk, ie the risk is the same.

It would be heartbreaking to lose them but I also know how much they love being out.

 

Xx

[Olly]

Only you can make the choice, but I would recommend reading the thread 'Fox attacks - what happened' before making a decision. You will see that never having seen a fox is no guarantee that there is not one around, and sadly for many people the first time that they know there is a fox is when their hens are taken. You will also see that having dogs is no guarantee.

 

Personally I wouldn't take the chance, they may seem miserable in the run but they will be safe and healthy.

[keyhole kate]

Like you my chooks had me believing that they were only happy when FR 24/7 however I made the decision to keep them in a WIR in order to be able to have our garden back. Once used to being in they are as happy as larry Personally I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if they were taken by Mr Fox

[MedusA]

Me too. One trashed garden and one dead hen soon had me reaching for the wood, mesh, hammer and nails.

 

Having lost one hen to a fox, I could never take the risk again. It's too heartbreaking.

[Sammiboo]

i have never seen a fox immediately local and i live in a very rural area. I never let them out when i am not home. I couldnt take the risk, i would rather the hens throw the odd tantrum wanting to be let out than have dead ones.

 

Its your choice but i wouldnt forgive myself if they were hurt or killed.

[chick wiggle]

I totally understand the comments made, however, there is also the other side to consider too. Does the happiness of your hens outweigh the risk of a fox? There is an argument for a happy but maybe horribly shortened life compared to a longer but not quite so happy one?

I have never seen or heard a fox near us either and i leave my hens out freeranging all day wether im in or not. Now i know i am taking a risk but it is a considered risk, i would hate for my girls to be shut in a small (compared to outside) run all day, when they could be having all the fun of freeranging, sun bathing (ha ) digging and dustbathing they have outside of it. Should the worst happen, i would be happy knowing they had had a very full and happy life.

It would be a totally different story if i knew there were foxes nearby, then obviously i would have to keep them in to keep them safe.

 

It is only a decision you can make, best wishes to you and your girls whatever you decide

[chestnutmare]

It's a personal decision. It depends how you will view the situation if a chicken (or all) are attacked or killed. As chick wiggle says, chickens enjoy free ranging so a (possible) shortened life may be justified to you. How much bigger is your garden? I know we class this as free ranging but are they really anyway if your garden is small?

My parents allowed their chickens to free-free range. No boundries. One was attacked by a bird of prey, most taken by the fox, one run over by the speeding post man, some died of old age. They all had a wonderful time using around 2 acres of space. We had five guard dogs (also free ranging) and the fox had come on a summer's day while we were outside. It can happen so quickly, foxes are very clever and will watch and wait. My parents don't for one moment regret the enjoyment the chickens had but they wouldn't do it again. My mother especially got very upset every time one was taken/passed away.

It's personal choice and down to how you would cope, I think.

[Olly]

It would be a totally different story if i knew there were foxes nearby, then obviously i would have to keep them in to keep them safe.

 

Trouble is, you don't know that there aren't foxes nearby.

The other thing to consider is that it's unlikely that the fox will take just one hen, if it is not disturbed it will kill them all. It's a personal decision, but it helps to have as much information as possible before making it.

 

I'm very envious of the people who are able to let their hens free range, I think mine would be gone within the first day, sadly.

[LolaLayla]

I have had my girls since June 2010. They are out from first thing until they go to bed at dusk. I know I run a risk as there are woods nearby with foxes. I agree with chick wiggle as mine just enjoy free ranging so much I would not want to restrict them unless necessary. I do move them to nearer the house in winter though.

[surfer_chicken]

I am in the same position, I have never seen a fox during the day, but I know they are around at night (an unfortunate night when the eglu wasn't closed ), but I have continued to let them free range everyday.

 

I would rather the chickens had a wonderful year foraging around the garden everyday than 4 years stuck in the run and I would only reconsider if it got to the point where the chickens were being taken almost as quickly as I was replacing them.

[chestnutmare]

I've got to agree with Olly. Not seeing a fox doesn't mean there isn't one there.

[mollyripkim]

Its interesting to hear everyones opinion, I guess it's a very personal decision. Mine FR from around 11 am to dusk but I work from home and put them back in their run if I have to go out.

Have seen a fox about a mile away so guess it's possible but also have three dogs, although I know that is no guarantee.

[Sammiboo]

i read the fox attack thread regularly. I used to pop out to the shops for an hour and leave them FRing in the back garden but the number of times i have read fox attacks happening in the middle of the day then i stopped doing it. I have got quite paranoid. The amout of people who said they have kept chickens for X number of years, never seen a fox then have a sudden attack. My chickens are pets and part of the family, so i just couldnt risk anything happening to them. As others have said its each persons choice and my choice is i FR when i am at home and able to supervise

[essexhen]

I lost two whilst free-ranging during the day, my neighbour lost three - the same fox also chased his cat in daylight!

We went for the electric netting option, this gives them pretty much all the back garden to roam in all day and I shut the run at night and switch the fence off. It's not as nice as seeing them wander about round all the neighbours but still gives them more freedom than the run alone.

[Sam]

Neighbour has kept chickens for 6 years, they left the coop door open 24/7 for the past 4 years and never lost a hen to a fox. None of us have ever seen a fox in the area, but of course fox found them and killed them all

 

When we were fox proofing our WIR, another neighbour asked "why" because shes lived in the house shes in now for 40 odd years and never seen a fox in the area, just shows they are there and will eventually find you

[Lavenders_Blue]

Another person here who FR's chickens all day. I've never seen a fox round here, although I do fully understand that doesn't mean they're not around, also my garden is surrounded on all 3 sides by neighbouring gardens. Again I appreciate that doesn't mean a fox can't/won't get in but I think it lessens the risk. My next door neighbour has hens too and does the same as me, FR all day and shut away at night. If the fox were to come, I think his would be first in the firing line...

[Mercedes55]

My own view is that yes you are being too complacent. Doesn't matter where you live, town or country, there are foxes around. We live in a house that has gardens on 3 sides and we have trellis that is about 7ft high all around too. We have gates both sides of the house and have blocked off one side that we don't really use to make it harder for any foxes to get over. We've only seen one fox since we got our girls in July 2010, if our girls hadn't been in a secure run we'd have lost them all.

 

I actually think we owe it to our girls to keep them safe from predators. Yes they will obviously prefer to be FR, but bless their little cotton socks they have no idea what predators are out there.

[Griffin]

I totally understand the comments made, however, there is also the other side to consider too. Does the happiness of your hens outweigh the risk of a fox? There is an argument for a happy but maybe horribly shortened life compared to a longer but not quite so happy one?

I have never seen or heard a fox near us either and i leave my hens out freeranging all day wether im in or not. Now i know i am taking a risk but it is a considered risk, i would hate for my girls to be shut in a small (compared to outside) run all day, when they could be having all the fun of freeranging, sun bathing (ha ) digging and dustbathing they have outside of it. Should the worst happen, i would be happy knowing they had had a very full and happy life.

It would be a totally different story if i knew there were foxes nearby, then obviously i would have to keep them in to keep them safe.

 

It is only a decision you can make, best wishes to you and your girls whatever you decide

 

I echo this word for word. Mine are free ranging all day every day unless they're rearing chicks in which case they are in a run. I've been keeping hens for over three years. Should the worst happen and a fox does pay a visit I can honestly say my girls had a much happier three years than they would've had in a run and I wouldn't regret my decision. I'd then be straight on the phone to certain friends I have nearby who will take care of my visitor.