Chicken Memorials

[adeandsu]

Hi all

 

We're completely new to this - delivery date of eglu and chickens is 25 September. At the weekend we did a survey of our current fencing arrangements with Mr Fox in mind. Unfortunately we found 32 metres of fencing in need of repair or replacement = very expensive.

 

So, to cut to the main issue - a short-term option to secure our chickens is obviously more 'localised' fencing. But, having seen the Omlet chicken netting online it seems to be too flimsy to withstand foxes (although no doubt great at keeping chickens inside!)

 

Does anyone have any ideas or advice please?

 

Cheers

Ade and Su

 

P.S. Human hair and urine process already in place!!

[Egluntyne]

You can electrify the Omlet netting, but that will not stop a determined fox.

 

I use it to keep my girls confined to certain areas and it is very good for that but I personally would not state that it will keep your girls safe from the fox.

 

Remember that a fox has no trouble leaping up onto a 6 ft high wall.

[adeandsu]

Thanks for that info. I had wondered whether the neighbourhood foxes would simply jump over our fences (even after we'd spent loads of money on repairing/replacing them)!

 

I think our focus will have to be making sure the garden is as fox-unfriendly as it can be, while recognising that determined foxes will get in whatever we do. Wider-ranging will be strictly limited to times when we're in the garden! And we'll get some chicken netting too to restrict where the girls can go.

 

Thanks again

Ade

[Ladylucan]

Good Luck with your chooks, and make sure you post some piccys for us to have a nose at.

[urbanchick]

My omlet chickens have flown over the netting on a handful of occasions, despite having their wings clipped!

[Olly]

Omlet netting is definitely for keeping chickens in, not for keeping predators out - even if it were electrified, I wouldn't want to rely on it. I don't think anything will keep a determined fox out, short of a solid wall with a roof on it! Make sure the Eglu run is as safe and secure as possible, do what you can to deter the fox from using your garden as a pathway/resting place, and supervise free ranging time closely.

 

It's a pain - I had imagined my chooks pottering happily in the garden every evening when I got home, while I was in the house - but it just can't be.