Lone chook

[Myrkk]

Not been around for a while....... all work and no play makes Myrkk a web free bunny........

Just wondering if anyone can give me any help. Unfortunately Mr Fox has figured out how to get in the hen run. I'm out working until well after dark and so in 3 weeks I've lost all bar one chicken. She's safe at the moment 'cause I'm on holiday but when I go back to work I reckon she'll be a goner too. At the moment she is looking very lonely. Any suggestions, bar locking her in a shed all the time. I can't move the hen run. I don't know how the fox is getting in. They are in a 6ft high run with a coop in there.
I'm more worried that she is suffering because she has no friends around but don't want to get other chickens in case they are got too.......just doesn't seem fair. She's 4yrs old though and I'm not sure that she'd rehome very well. And all the neighbours have fox probs too. I've been really lucky. This is the first year we've have a serious fox problem, before it's been one strike a year around cubbing time. I think I'll have to have a break from chooks for a bit until the fox realises there is no point coming to our garden. Even my hubby "marking our territory" isn't working at the moment. Anyone around south wales that fancies a lone welsummer?

[QUATRO]

Sorry to hear about your fox problem. What was all that about a hunting ban? I must admit, since living in the country and owning chicks, I've changed my opinions somewhat. Beautiful creatures though they are, foxes can devastate chick population in seconds.

If your run has no roof, then it is possible foxy is climbing over. The other answer is to make the base of the run fox proof. This entails another section of mesh dug into the ground outside at 90 degrees to the bottom of your run fence in a sort of 'L' shape. This needs to be about 18" out from the base of the run. A lot of work I know, but I am told it is the best deterent. I would love to take on your lone Welsummer (I am in the Abergavenny area) but I am away in the early part of January and I have also failed to introduce a couple of new chicks to my flock in recent weeks (see entry below your initial message), so another newcomer would surely suffer the same bullying.

But don't give up on the chicks. My first four were reduced to one by the local farmer's dog (not the dog's fault, but the irresponsible owner!) and I thought to give up. However, I tried again and now have six chicks running free range that give me so much pleasure. I just keep an eye out for foxy and any dogs on the loose. It's a worry, I know, but I keep my fingers crossed. Good luck! Quatro.

[PLUMPUDDING]

We have a fox that keeps checking out my chickens, but so far I've been lucky and make sure they are fastened in their hut by dusk. It ate all my neighbours pekin bantams though when he forgot to fasten the door.

I wondered if you had seen the automatic bob-hole closing devices. There is one, I think it is German, that uses clockwork, so doesn't need electricity and you set it to open when it is light and close at dusk (hopefully when all the hens have gone to roost). I've been thinking about getting one for when I can't get a hen sitter when were away for a couple of nights.

Or does your fox visit in daylight?

[chicken4]

I lost my chickens in the early hours of wednesday morning. Gutted that they've all gone. The fox got in the run and then forched the cpop hole door up.

I'm now getting an eglu, I know it's a lot of money but very secure, the door winds open and shut. We are making repairs to the run and taking extra safety measures and will then collect some more hens.

Is there no way you can keep her. Our run as a roof we covered in with the meash stuff and it's really strong. The fox that got ours has tried to dig under the run but never had any luck so we got that bit right he somehow got the door open but it looks like he really had his work cut out as it's in a right state.

[Myrkk]

The run is secure for digging under so the only way s/he can get in is over. As far as when the fox turns up, take your pick. The school next door heard her/him at 3pm one day after our chooks [the local dogs turned up at 1pm another day, still to find out where Jacksons' Mum stays so I can present them a bill for the damage!!!]. So day, night.......doesn't matter. I don't begrudge them our chooks. But have decided that I'm not going to replace them at the moment. It will give us a chance to sort out garden out and perhaps make a new area for them and for the foxes to forget.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I'm sorry you've had such problems. I agree that it wouldn't be fair to get any more hens until you are sure you can keep the fox out. I suppose the only other thing is an electric fence, but that isn't something I would want.

We are lucky that our foxes are definitely night time ones, although we once went on holiday to Dunwich and they had just had some awful problems with foxes killing all their poultry. Apparently, some well meaning people had rescued some urban foxes and decided to relocate them to the countryside around Dunwich. And instead of behaving like the resident foxes and only coming out at night, they were rampaging around the area killing everything in the daytime too. They were even seen lounging on the grass verges in the afternoons. I think steps were being taken to remove/eliminate the introduced ones, and a few had been hit by cars too.

[pongeroon]

rampaging around the area killing everything in the daytime too. They were even seen lounging on the grass verges in the afternoons

.

Rather like the teenagers around here...had they been drinking, too?

[PLUMPUDDING]

Quite possibly Pongeroon, it conjures up quite a picture.