So sad...

[bigbutsrus1]

I lost my four beautiful girls to the fox yesterday. We have had them for five years. A big beautiful speckledy Sussex, brahma, dorking and light Sussex. Fine in the morning, think it must have been before mid-day. Took my little dorking but just killed and bit the heads of the others. Feel so sad as feathers everywhere. My speckledy was intact but dead - probably shock. The kids ran up to see them after school and was a shock for them . My garden, veggies and chooks were my hobby and little piece of "my time ". Kids want more chickens but I would have them locked up day and night out of worry! What do other people do? Thinking of a large ark type house with run and only ever let them out when we are in the garden.

Oh that's sad for you all

We've lost 2 of ours (we think) to a fox but they've been grab and run attacks, mid afternoon on 2 separate occasions.

We've had an Eglu Cube all along but have extended the run and filled it with tree stumps etc. I let the girls out while I'm at home but I think 'Bob' and Bob2' were both taken while was home as it feels 'safer'!

Oh I'm so sorry Our neighbours have lost 5 to the fox and ours used to free range all the time but now they have a big walk in coop made from Heras Fencing and their house is in there. Half the walk in coop has a roof on it so they have shelter from the rain and hot sun. We've put some logs in that they like to jump on, they have plenty of soil to make dust baths, they jump on top of their house and spy on the neighbours too

I have no doubt they were happier free ranging but my DH refused to take the risk any longer. Whenever we're home and in the garden, the girls are out. I also buy them spring greens and sprout tops whenever I can so they can play and chomp on those. They seem happy enough but I do worry that they get bored. Having said that, I let them out yesterday afternoon and within 20 minutes they'd all jumped back into the coop and were playing quite happily in there, despite the door being open and lots of greens to chomp on outside!

Have been googling heras fencing all day! They look perfect! Thank you x

So sad isn't it, OP? We had a fox attack just before Easter, broad daylight around lunchtime. I was in the kitchen and just happened to look up and saw a flash of ginger, then a foxy snout poking out of a bush. I ran out screaming like a banshee. 1 poor chook was already dead, two had legged it up onto the patio and he was coming up the garden to finish them off. Took me ages to find the 4th, thought she was dead but when I picked her up she moved. Took her to the vet, thinking she'd have to be PTS, but with antibiotics & painkillers, and 3 nights in our bathroom (!) she made a full recovery and now thinks she's a house hen.

Ever since then they've had a v restricted life in a rather small run attached to their house, and only let out while we are in the garden. We are paranoid - and rightly so, as we've seen the bastard fox several times since.

This week we have had a fabulous new, large walk in hen run built by a local gardener/handyman, and tomorrow we are off to collect 3 new hens to double our flock now that we have safe space for them.

I'm still shutting them up at night though - still can't quite relax. In a way, I want to see signs that the fox has had a go at getting in the run and then given up, only then will I know they are safe.

Don't dare tot up what these eggs are costing us

We used to let our first 3 totally free range and it was lovely, they would come and tap at the door and wander around the neighbours gardens before making their way home. However the fox got two in broad daylight.

So we've gone down the route of electric poultry netting around a large area with an eglu cube/run inside - at night we shut the run and re-open first thing. If we have a determined fox around (they have been known to try and chew through the netting whilst switched on!) then we close the door to the cube as well.

CQ - In case you haven't already thought of it, foxes can dig underneath fencing etc, so it's worth considering digging wire mesh underneath. This is what we put underneath in our last house as we had a very determined fox.

Have decided to get an ark with run attached and it also goes underneath. It's from Scats. I have been working all day clearing the old wire, house (and feathers) away! I plan to burry wire under the edges and grass over it. Hope to get 6 bantams. Not had bantams before, our neighbour has them and the kids like them. My DD keeps trotting off up the garden first thing and then forgets they are not there! Guess they become a way of life can't wait now to get our new girls!

Thanks, Essex - we have dug the wire in to about a foot deep so that should keep the bugger out. If I see signs of digging I also have some old sleepers I can put around the base.

Collected our 3 new hens today, a ginger, a Light Sussex and a darker ginger thing whose name I have already forgotten - all hybrids so good layers. The man I buy them off says he's had 37 hens of this current batch all ordered by people who have lost hens to foxes, and all in broad daylight. bigbuts he had some lovely baby bantams - little fluff balls

Our new 3 are settling well and not too many punch ups with the seniors so far. Not sure what's going to happen at bed time as they are mostly staying out of reach, but they're all going to have to snuggle up tonight!

we too have recently lost all of ours to a fox - there is a woman down the road who feeds the bloody things so there are many in our area. I was amazed when we lost some in the middle of the day. No more for until I can get the whole set up fenced over completely so he can't get in at all, day or night. Just waiting to see if we can rent this place for another year before investing in that tho. I did love my chooks and was v sad.