chickens

[jane E]

We got our first lot of chickens this week. They're delightful! Hybrids. Scared of the big outdoors as yet, but perfectly at home in their coop - a shed on the end of a barn.What do other people do regarding protection from foxes particularly when they're at work? Ours have quite a large han house - about
10' x 6' and a very big run secured by chicken wire to normal fence height with barbed wire on top. I suspect he'd just come over the top - am I right?

[alan refail]

Hi Jane

Welcome to chicken keeping. How many have you got? I'm sure everyone would like to see a picture of them if you could post one.
As for foxes - despite being in the countryside, we have had no problems. Our hens and ducks are totally free-range and are only locked in every night. The only losses have occurred on the odd occasion that one has stayed out.
I realise the above doesn't answer your question. Have a look at Katie Thear's excellent site:

http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/index.php

Type foxes in her search box and you'll find more information than you could imagine.

Hope it helps.

Cofion gorau - best regards

Alan

[Diane]

I'd put a roof on the run - just to be on the safe side. Foxes can jump to quite a height.

[peter]

Cutting Edge tonight at 9 is on Urban Foxes.

[Myrkk]

Even if they don't jump over the top they will dig under the bottom unless the wire is sunk into the ground. This can be impractical when you need to move the hut to give the ground a rest from the hens.

We're the same as Alan, live in the country surrounded by farmland and foxes and we don't have a problem. In fact before we got geese we didn't even lock our chooks away at night. They are completely free range, even ranging out of the garden. Sadly the geese attracted the foxes and so we can no longer do that. That said, we've only had 2 fox attacks in 4years both in the cubbing season.

[madasafish]

Badgers like chickens. They will break through chicken wire.. Here you have to use welded wire - more expensive...(but cheaper than eaten chicken)

And of course the foxes follow..and climb.

And squirrels climb and eat eggs.. and chicken wire is not any good against a determined squirrel....

[alan refail]

Thank god some of us live in the wild countryside

Alan