[Jukes Mum]

Mr Fox came on Tuesday and took 3 of my chickens (including my favourite "Little Old Red Hen")   
They are free range and we are always careful to lock them up as soon as it begins to get dark. The thing is that this happened at 6.30 in the evening (or at least that's when one of them went. I suspect that the other two must have been taken before that). I know that they are at risk by free ranging, but i never really expected them to be taken in broad daylight. They are in a field which is next to our garden where we had been out and about with the dogs all day. We were all still out when the incident occured 
Anyway, my problem is this. After the attack on Tuesday (which happened near the hen hut) half the chickens refused to go to bed that night and settled for the night on the garden gate and had to be caried to bed.
Last night I thought about putting then to bed early to reduce the risk of Mr Fox beating me to it. I tried tempting them in the hut with some bread but could not get them in at all. Has anyone any tricks/treats which work to temp hens to bed early?

[Fleecewife]

Hi Jukes mum - it's horrible isn't it.  I went through the exact same thing a week or so ago - 7 hens and a cockerel killed in the middle of the day, torn apart bodies strewn about.....   Our hens too are totally free range during the day, and locked tight in their houses at night.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, we changed what time we let the survivors (3 hens and the old cock) out in the morning.  It used to be the very first thing my husband did on going out, but now we leave them until about ten.  Initially I stayed around in that area the whole time they were out, except for lunchtime.  We found that we could tempt them to bed by feeding them their small handful of scattered grain inside their shed (fairly large - garden shed sized).  They won't go in if we're watching, so we put in the grain then go and do something else for a short while and we come back to find them all pecking away, so we shut the pophole and they're safe for another night. Last night they were in by six, and it's usually seven.  Previously they wouldn't go in until the last gasp of daylight for most of the year, but about 9 or 10 in the summer.
We're a bit resigned to the fact that the remaining birds will probably be taken at some point, but meanwhile I intend to fight it.  The worst time is right now when the young foxes are being taught to hunt, so they start off with something easy.  Our hens wouldn't have run off as they're used to dogs around the place. The fox which got them looked fairly young to me, but I was so surprised it was hanging around that I didn't look closely.

I think for getting them to bed early, you just have to persevere with lifting them into their house every evening.  If you leave them out, then come first light they'll hop down off their gate and it's foxy breakfast (been there).  They should get used to being fed some grain inside though.  We were surprised at how quickly ours got the message.
By the by, one of our hens had gone broody the day of the attack (how she survived I think) so we popped the last half dozen eggs from the flock under her, while they were still laying fertile eggs (the old cock is now infertile)  She's still sitting tight and the eggs should hatch mid July  so there's something good to look forward to 

[Jukes Mum]

The circle of life at work hey? 
I had just brought home 6, 3 week old Dorkings which my friend hatched for me so 3 got by the fox and 6 new ones. Still sad though.
As you are, I think I am resigned to the fact that more will go (only the red hens- the Dorkings are in a completely enclosed paddock!) but I am determind that they will stay free range and have a happy life while they are here, but I will fight it as long as I can. I will feed them less in the morning and see if I can tempt them to bed earlier tonight.
When you say 'grain' what do you feed yours? Mine are just on layers, but they don't eat much as there is so much to munch on in the field!
Fingers crossed that your fox stays away too 

[doganjo]

Hens love mixed grain and also meal worms.  If they are free ranging perhaps try not giving them any layers at all for a day or so to encourage them to come in at night to their treats?

[chrismahon]

Sorry to hear that Jukes Mum. Our first attack took place at 2.00pm, the next at 4.00pm and the one after that at 8.00pm, just minutes before I went down to them. So free ranging was out completely. This was an urban fox illegally released from the nearby town I think. Prior to that we had a very big dog fox used to call every night and check I shut all the coops properly. In summer we used to lure the hens into the secure runs we had at the front of each coop about an hour before dusk and then lock the coops up (theft was the biggest problem) after dark. So you need a secure run around the pop-hole. If it is very secure you could leave the pop-hole open all night so they can get up and go to bed whenever.


The problem I see in your case though is that the fox will come again soon and in broad daylight and take the rest. So unless you create a secure run for them permanently you will always now be at risk of losing the lot at any time. Alternatively trap and destroy this fox, but one day another will be along.

[neilhenry77]

What about electric fencing? If you get a 50m length its still a decent size area, my hens have a very happy life with the added bonus it isn't short lived.

[Ideation]

Aye, this time of year is a bad one, I've had several calls in the last couple of days to get out and sort out the new grown on cubs that are making themselves known around the area. 

[Jukes Mum]

So frustrating.
How do you deal with them Ideation? We don't know where the set is. Could we leave bait out, or squeak them in or something?

[midtown]

We've done both JM, especially around this time of the year.
A keeper friend has set up a vantage point with a high seat and a solar powered light designed to come on at dusk. Reynard doesn't seem to be bothered about the light and can be squeaked to the bait and its demise, but there will always be another ready to fill the void.

Recently heard of someone baiting with fish & chips wrapper in order to lure in released urban foxes! 

[Ideation]

If they are this seasons cubs, they usually come in pretty quick to a call. Had a pair on Friday night, was squeeking a third in, and suddenly two shot out of the hedge and came to within about 15 yards.

If they cannot be squeeked in for whatever reason, i've used middens (bait stations) usually consisting of dead carcasses of some kind.

Failing the above two, then its a good search with the terrier.