ieuan Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 only 40 mins to go before they arrive!!! We've decided to let our chickens have the run of the whole garden, but I have some concerns over the fencing. Most of our garden is surrounded by 5ft fencing, but there are some areas that are only about 3ft (especially one, which has a treestump that could be a very good leaping platform), should I try and raise these lower areas of fence, or will my two little ladies, stay in the Garden? Garden is a decent size, but there is a very inviting wood at the back of the house! Advice gladly taken Ieuan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Good luck with your new chickens. Ours arrived in September, and we have had a wonderful time. We have, however, learnt a horrible lesson very early on - and I have been wondering how to put this on the forum. The garden fencing seemed to be as good a place as any. We have a large London garden, and have been allowing our hens to roam a huge amount while we are here. Unfortunately, last weekend one of them was 'foxed' in broad daylight (unspotted by other hen or by adult in charge). So please be careful if they are roaming free range - foxes will find them and are merciless. I drove to Wardington this week to collect a new hen to keep Diane company, and she laid her first egg this morning, so she is obviously happy here. Karen Stoke Newington, London Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ieuan Posted October 22, 2004 Author Share Posted October 22, 2004 Thanks for the reply Karen and very sorry to hear about your bad news Our chickens have now arrived, so I have a week to resolve the fence issue - I've decided to raise the 3 ft fence area to atleast 6, but I guess I'll still have to keep a close eye on them. Ieuan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Hello and good luck with the new arrivals! So sorry to hear about yours Karen - good luck with the new girl. We've had our girls since early June and they're doing wonderfully - never a dull moment. Our garden is surrounded on all sides by 6ft fencing and we have also put up fruit cage type netting around various "delicate" areas in the garden like the vegetable garden and the pond (watching the girls fight over a frog on the first day "free ranging", made us protect the pond area to stop any more merciless attacks on our little froggy friends - honestly, they were like the Jurassic Park veloceraptors!). Clarissa is great at hopping over the netting which is around 3ft high and uses anything in the garden that's available as a launch zone like plant pots, the Eglu etc. She's also sizing up the 6ft fence and I often catch her flapping her wings whilst looking at the top of the fence as if she's working out if she can get up there and into the neighbours garden. If I were you, I'd definitely sort out your fences. Better to be safe than sorry. Hope you get on wonderfully with your girls. The eggs just don't compare with shop bought ones and just watching the hens waddling round the garden, pecking and scratching is delightful. All the best, Kate, Jenny and Clarry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parmaviolet Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I live on a small modern housing development in SW London. The gardens all have 6ft fences to all sides and although, so far, I've not had any foxes in my garden, I have seen foxes scale over the fences of several of my neighbours (I used to live in the flats overlooking the rear of the gardens). There was a good post on the River Cottage forum recently which suggested that foxes can get a 'toe hold' on holes, gaps or horizontal struts of a fence. I'm trying to decide what measures, if any, I should take. Perhaps I might try some loose trellis. ie it will crash down if the fox tries to get over it? London foxes seem to be extremely bold. I saw one walking right down the middle of an adjacent street earlier in the year and when I tried to shoo it away and clapped my hands at it, it just looked straight at me and stood it's ground. One night at dusk, my husband(whos a bit short sighted) was walking home from the tube and saw what he thought was a small lost dog. He called out to it and crouched down, it was only as it came closer that he realised it was a fox! I'm sure people round here must feed them, they seem so tame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ieuan Posted October 24, 2004 Author Share Posted October 24, 2004 I've had the girls for two days now (at least the rain kept off today) and managed to increas the size at the bottom of our garden to 7 ft using chicken wire - I think I'm now happy with the garden. Have been trying to handle the chickens, but we did have a successfull escape attempt today !! Mini launched herself out of the eglu egg door as I was trying to put moo back - it took me another 30 mins to round her up and get her back into the run !! Ieuan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Hi I have a fence of around 2' 6'' and they haven't even tried to get over it. they forced a way THROUGH it but never over the top. I do trim their wing feathers like it says you should - but i think the main reason is that I feed my girls too well and they are far to fat to fly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 There is a really interesting posting by Dee in the Fox Problem sticky http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=235 regarding deterrents you can buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAZAROO Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Yesterday morning Adam my hubby; watched a fox clear 6ft in one leap- he was completely dumbstruck as he thought I had been fibbing..... Please make sure your garden is secure and your hens are tucked up at night- it will save you a lot of heart ache.... Saying that urban foxes sometimes visit in the day light... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMcHen Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Sorry but 6 foot fencing isn't enough either. We had our girls free ranging for nearly a year in perfect sfety behind a 6' fence ...................................until this august when we were foxed three times one hen one day and two more the following day, after my OH had added a bit of extra on top of the 6' and a little bantam cock from INSIDE a very large dog crate where he was in temporary accommodation. Do take care - all these were in broad daylight with people in and out of the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggypeggy Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 We have a similar situation, there are a coiuple of areas in our chicken garden area, which could be scaled if the chooks chose to have a go. Clipped wings should stop them from getting over the fence, but if they have a 'platform' they might manage it.. My Peggy is very good at jumping on the eglu run and using that as a way into our other garden area.. however Eggy has no interest at all and has never even tried... So it kind of depends if you have a really adventurous chook. We used a strip of weldmesh type stuff, chicken wire on top of the areas where they could make a break for it.. and it's been enough to put peggy off... she can't land on it if you know what i mean. If you are with them when they free range for a while .. keep an eye on them and you'll soon see if you need to add extra trellis os something. Peggys a bit like water.. you patch up one area then shell try another way!.. Have fun with your new chooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
