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

[abwsco]

yep, we've had a fox in the garden at lunchtime today. We'd just finished lunch and DD saw it first. Locked the chickens up and there were also fox prints on the cube which I never noticed this morning. Really in a quandry as there's a bit of vicious aggro amongst the chickens re-sorting out the pecking order so DH thinks we might have carnage anyway if we leave them locked in all the time

[gongladosh]

I'd keep 'em in unless you're in the garden and they'll just have to squabble over pecking order. They're less likely to do real damage than a fox!

[Gloss-Hen]

we had 2 foxes in our garden on saturday but we scared them off good and proper

[Mum]

Where did you lock them up? In the Cube run, or in the Cube itself?

 

I've not had the luxury of a Cube, but have years of experience with an eglu and omlet run attached. I *have* lost chooks to Mr Fox (but that was due to a wooden coop). Mr Fox has tried to attack the Eglu via the pop hole, but he couldn't work it

 

Pecking order will sort itself out in a matter of days or, at most, a couple of weeks.

 

The skirt of the run should act as a deterrent to Mr F; but we also weigh down the skirt with long logs from when we had to chop down some trees in our garden. Failing that, bricks might do it.

 

Footprints on the cube shouldn't be too much of a concern due to the solidity of the build. In your shoes, I would rather trust the pecking order than Mr F

[scubababe]

How scary I'm with everyone above. I'd rather keep my ladies in the cube and let them sort it out than risk Mr Fox sorting it out for you!!

 

Good luck

[abwsco]

Well, ladies weren't happy as they're always out all day but they've been out again for half an hour whilst I was there with them. Luckily we have a largeish WIR that's brick wall on two sides, shed on other and then the weldmesh side is on slabs. No sign of anything digging there so fingers crossed all will be OK. Not looking foward to leaving them locked in tomorrow though as I'm at work so can't check on them.

[Mum]

Yes, being at work (to me) means we can't FR. But, I weigh up the two: FR without me could spell Foxy decap; vs stay safe in your runs *until* I can supervise FR = greater safety.

 

My primary concern is for my chooks welfare, not my diary dates. Their FR time is the time I can spend supervising them against Mr F; other than that, I have given my girls the best environment I can so they are not stir crazy for those times I cannot be there to supervise their safety (from Mr F/escapolagism/dogs/cats/whatever!)

 

It's a juggling act, I know it.

 

My girls get a guaranteed time in the morning FR'ing and a time in the evening FR'ing; that is divided between my Uni commitments vs dh's shift patterns. When Uni is on break, my girls get a plethora of time in the garden because ... I'm gardening! Some days that it greatly restricted, but I weight it up between majority vs minority.

 

I'm sure you are doing the very best for your ladies under your circumstances. Chooks are very adaptable (and trainable!) and really will fit in to your "routine" of things. Even if it compromises total freedom (and potential attack!) vs limited freedom around your own schedule

 

Best of luck x

[abwsco]

Well, will see what tomorrow brings with them being confined to an 18ft x 6ft run. Fingers crossed for no argy bargy like there had been this morning in the short time between them getting up and me letting them out of the run. Had two with bloody combs and a large amount of feathers on the floor