Author Topic: Chickens all gone (Read 6561 times)

Fleecewife · « **Reply #30 on:** August 24, 2012, 02:03:35 pm »

When you say the fox is getting into the hen run - are the hens not locked in a secure house at night? Ours free range all day but we lock them into sheds at night. Fox learned to open the popholes at one stage so they are all now extra secure with two catches and a sliding bar and the people door has a latch, a catch and a hook and eye closure. A badger could probably still tear its way in.........

WarescotFarm · « **Reply #31 on:** August 24, 2012, 02:06:57 pm »

Quote from: Fleecewife on August 24, 2012, 02:03:35 pm

A badger could probably still tear its way in.........

Can badgers get through a door??? Never thought about badgers $:-\$

Sylvia · « **Reply #32 on:** August 24, 2012, 04:00:16 pm »

Badgers, the little b#@gers will tear through a wooden house. Fleecewife, the reason for a fox-proof run was because I was working six nights a week and couldn't get up there in the summer(the holding is six miles away) late enough to shut them away. As I said, this has been fine for about eighteen months, no problems at all.
I have a fancy it may have been a badger who made the hole but definitely fox in there as there are fox droppings.
Anyway, I shall be there in the future, given up work and everything, to shut them away, also I hope the presence of the dogs will make them think twice. The nights I've stayed up there they have gone mad in the night, giving the "Fox, fox" yell.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #33 on:** August 24, 2012, 04:08:28 pm »

Ah that explains it. We can each only do the best we can with the situation we have. Something got one of my hens the other day, but it looks as if it was a bird of prey. Our hens are just in our orchard, yards from the back door but it still happened.

Good luck when you get your next poultry flock

Yes badgers are really strong and can rip stuff apart and go just where they want to.

WarescotFarm · « **Reply #34 on:** August 24, 2012, 06:53:39 pm »

yikes! we haven't had a badger attack yet then. I thought we were fool proof, continuous loops of chicken wire 25mm looped under the earth and attached on the top. It is a chicken tube!

BUT it is attached to a wooden hen shed which is the hen house, maybe the double locked door is our downfall!
Blimin things!

Heart breaking when you have raised your flock and they are gone just like that! Hope you getting on ok x