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[Noodle]

Hi all

I have been researching chickens for the past 4 weeks and have managed to cover most questions I had.

However, I have this vision of my chickens wandering around my secure, small (but perfectly formed!) garden while I cooked supper etc. A friend has just said that because of the threat of urban foxes, I should always be outside in the garden with the chickens if they are roaming - is this the case?

Thanks Nicky

[ChickNic]

Hi Nicky,

 

I'm always outside when mine are free ranging, but that's because I'm quite nervous as I have seen foxes around before. I have been wrapping up warm and sitting with them. But then I'm at work in an office all day so quite enjoy sitting outside and watching them when I'm home! We've only had them 3 weeks, so maybe the novelty will wear off!

 

N.

[lerryn]

Against many users of this forum advice, my chucks freerange for 10 to 12 hours a day. I have had foxes in the past, but cut off their usual route, got the hubby to pee round our border & when i give him his monthly shearing, i place the hair round our border too. I have a baby & a 6 yr old and never get much time to sit in the garden. I cant leave the kitchen door open as the chickens come in & eat the cat food! I regulary check on them & shut them in their run if I pop out.

 

I was really anxious at first, but they love scratching round the place!

 

HTH

[bangers]

Its a Lottery with Unsupervised chickens , I dont think anyone can say there chickens are secure and safe unless they are in a run with the right gauge mesh and un-digable footings, I leave mine out free ranging all day , think my biggest threat is from birds of prey rather than foxes because of the 6 foot fence , but you never know.

[Snowy]

Although you can never guarentee 100% security, it does very much depend upon where you live. Urban foxes appear to be much less afraid of humans and will enter gardens (even over 6' fences) while you are in the garden. Rural foxes tend to keep out of the way during daylight. We live in a small country village and have never seen a fox anywhere during daylight, let alone in the garden. Obviously pickings are easier out in the fields. You have to do a risk assessment on your local area!

[Egluntyne]

You have to do a risk assessment on your local area!

 

True.

 

I have seen foxes several times in the early morning but never in the day.

 

However....I do live on a busy main road and my next door neighbour is a fanatical gardener and is outside very waking moment so I think the general noise and motion keeps them away.

 

I leave them to play out whilst I'm in the house, but I would never go out and leave them to their own devices.

 

I spend a lot of time in the garden too, so they are rarely cooped up all day.

[Gallina]

If you know you have urban foxes around, they will get your hens eventually if you leave them out unsupervised.

 

Urban foxes aren't afraid of anything. They don't even run away when you go out in the garden, so neighbours being about won't scare them in the slightest. Most of them are used to humans feeding them. Once they find out that you have chickens, they will hang around a lot more, waiting for their chance. They come out just as much in the day as in the night.

[Aunty e]

I leave mine out as long as we are in the house, and I occasionally pop to the corner shop when they're in the garden. We have left them out all day once or twice. We have several foxes nearby, and used to see them in the garden all the time, but only at night. Our roads are quite busy in between the fox den and our house. If we only let ours out when we were with them in the garden, they would never come out. I prefer to take the risk personally, but I think it's up to you. I also have the biggest cat in the world who is generally out and about, peeing in the garden, and our vet said that he would scare off foxes, which may be why we haven't seen the foxes in the garden at night for ages.

 

Do be careful early in the morning and late in the afternoon though if you leave them out while you're in the house. This is when Mr Fox is most likely to come.

[Couperman]

We let ours roam if we are in the house. I set up a camera so I can watch them on the TV if the weather is too bad to sit with them. They usually want to come and sit in the house with us!

 

We are going to be more vigilant now the nights are drawing in!

 

We have been leaving the Cube door open recently so that they can get themselves up. I think we will revert to shutting them in again as they don't get up that much earlier than us now anyhow.

 

I don't thick urban foxes are a massive problem around us but they are there and I reckon we have been visited so... better safe than sorry I say.

 

Gallina feels strongly about this and I think shes right.

 

Kev.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I was going to post the very same question as it's been worrying me a lot too - I've only had my 3 girls for less than 2 weeks and only let them out if I'm in the garden or standing in the kitchen where I can see them through the window.

 

I've got a small garden which has garages on 2 sides but a 3 ft wall at the bottom which looks onto an open grassy field. I know there are foxes around (one woke us up the other night - what a horrible noise they make!) so am a bit paranoid.

 

I've got a dog but are they a deterrent only if they're actually present?

 

I've put old trellis on top of the wall (which makes it 4ft) then strawberry netting held up with garden canes (nearly 6 ft) but am still wary.

 

What can foxes get over? Would that stop them? Could they climb on a garage roof then jump down - or sneak their way through any gaps in the netting? I suppose if they're determined they'll find a way.

 

I just feel bad about leaving my hens in the run for most of the day but better that than being dead.

 

 

On a lighter note, check out my hens' latest daring plan! (You'll see my attempts at fox-proofing too!)

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=17378

[Couperman]

From what people have said I think foxes can get over most fencing unless its as high as those around a tennis court perhaps!

Even then I wouldn't put it past them parachuting in.

 

I would assume they can get into your garden cos they most likely can no matter how big your fences are. We have seven foot fences but one would only have to jump onto my car to get over it and might not even need to do that.

 

Kev.

[welsh sarah]

hi

i was very paranoid in the beginning but now 8 weeks later i have to say they are out all day as long as someone is in the house they love being out so much i would feel so guilty shutting them in all the time.

i haven`t seen any evidence of foxes yet though so i might not be so willing to have them out if i do

[Olly]

It's a risk, and only you can decide - and you are the one who will have to live with the consequences.

 

It's the only part of the chicken-owning experience that has been a disappointment to me, as I'd envisaged them pottering around the garden in the evenings while I pottered around the house.

 

I had to revise that plan, after two bold attempts at chicken-rustling when I was actually IN the garden. As Gallina says, urban foxes don't even run away when they see you!

 

Plenty of people let their birds roam around and have no problem, but I don't think mine would last 30 minutes. Foxes are much more agile than people suppose, and a chicken is a very desirable prize - if your fence isn't the sort of thing you'd build a permanent chicken-run from, then it probably isn't going to deter a very keen fox.

[Shirl]

I'm in the minority because mine freerange for most of the day. I'm not in much during the day and if I let them out I can't get them in again until bedtime. I did put them into the run when I got them but then they got wise to the mealworms in the run trick and refused to go back so now they free range.

 

As for cats seeing off foxes I'm no so sure because mine was killed by a fox

 

ETA: I am in a rural location and have never seen a fox in the day but loads at night. I know that means they aren't necessarily safe

Edited September 20, 2007 by Guest

[Christian]

I am the same as you Shirl. We are very rural and have never seen a fox. there was some fox's poo on the drive when we first moved in last May, but nothing since.

We let our girls out early in the morning when it is very light and lock them in again before it is very dark.

 

It is a risk, but we feel it is worth it to give them freedom during the day.

When we lived in a town, there were several foxes that visited out garden, but i didn't have hens then. Not sure if I would have let them free range

[Hen Watch]

Don't let the fox question put you off getting chickens. Whether you let them free range unsupervised or not is a personal decision to make based on your local area and the risk you are prepared to accept. They will live happily in a run if your area has a fox problem.

 

I am lucky to be at home most days so I let mine free range all day but I put them away if I go out (even to do the school run). I don't let them out very early, always after 9am and I put them away in their run 1 hour before dusk.

 

chickens wandering around my secure, small (but perfectly formed!) garden

 

Now, when it comes to perfectly formed gardens and chickens.....well....that's another question.

[Noodle]

Thanks to everyone for all your informed opinions on this.

I am sorry to say that you are probably right and I should supervise my chickens in the garden. I will have to see when they arrive. I placed my order today, and am very impatient but think it will be another three weeks before my new additions arrive. Am sure it will be worth the wait.

Nicky

[Chuckyegg]

Hi

My neighbour had 8 chickens killed by a fox during the afternoon when her 2 Alsation dogs were in the garden!!!

Only had my girls for less than 2 weeks - haven't dared let them out yet `