[Rosemary]

  Glad they are all OK - but you'll never not shut them in again 

[plumseverywhere]

Relief for you Sally! good news

one night I asked Tony to put ours to bed. 99% of them had gone into usual house but it seems one had gone into the broody coop as the wind had blown the door open. Now this is our spare 'isolation' or broody house and its rarely used.  OH didn't think to shut the pophole on it.
Next morning feathers everywhere, my gorgeous bluebelle was gone.  Next day fox returned and took 11 more as they happily pecked about their run 1.30pm in the sunshine.
Lesson I learnt was that fox always seems to return soon after one kill. 

[Steph Hen]

Wow, that's great news! Super

[SallyintNorth]

That's one big piece of luck there, Sally! 

[NormandyMary]

Great news Sally! We can all get complacent if Mr Fox hasn't visited for a while.  Im glad that the "Boys" act as guard dogs for my chooks as they never leave their sides when they are out and about. After losing a couple last year, Ive always made sure that the henhouse is shut each night, however, Blondie refuses to go in there still after a couple of months, as Jethro goes for her and injures her. I don't know what she did to upset him, probably said "No" once too often. She now sleeps in the woodbarn on top of the logs. There's nothing I can do about it, its her choice. I just keep my fingers crossed!!

[mowhaugh]

very pleased to hear they are all safe and well

[Foobar]

Glad they are all ok!
I can't recommend the automatic door opener/closer enough.  I have mine on a timer to open at 7am, and close at dusk or 10pm, whichever is earlier.  They aren't cheap but it pays for itself if it saves lives, and saves you having to get out of bed in the morning at the weekends .

[Marches Farmer]

Our henhouses are in the farmyard which is quite busy all day and has 2 border collies in the run overlooking it but even so we saw a fox in the field around midday last winter when food was so scarce.  Free rangers were locked in for the rest of the winter.  Guinea fowl, if you've no near neighbours of the sensitive hearing variety, have excellent eyesight and will sound the alarm long before the hens see the fox.  Whether or not the hens then have the sense to find a place of safety .....

[SallyintNorth]

Glad they are all ok!
I can't recommend the automatic door opener/closer enough.  I have mine on a timer to open at 7am, and close at dusk or 10pm, whichever is earlier.  They aren't cheap but it pays for itself if it saves lives, and saves you having to get out of bed in the morning at the weekends .

this

[suziequeue]

Blondie refuses to go in there still after a couple of months, as Jethro goes for her and injures her.

Are all your chooks named after pop groups FW? 

[jaykay]

Excellent!

That was your 'free chance'. I've had a few of those too. I think they're there to remind us, that when we do think of it, we go and do it, whatever 'it' is, however inconvenient, cos next time we might not be so lucky.

[chrismahon]

We've had a few 'free chances' as well. Went down this morning and the Gold Laced Wyandottes and Chester hadn't had their coop closed. Run was, inside a 'secure enclosure', but that's not enough.


Few months ago we decided to move the baby TNN's as the run wasn't secure at all against dogs or foxes. Went down in the morning and I had forgotten to shut the coop pop-hole. Expected slaughter inside but they were all still asleep -so lucky or what!!!!

[Victorian Farmer]

Last night was the date not to make noise or il be fined so got all birds in went to bed I dident put the shutters over the windows. 5.15 all cocks crowing hens going made the abaitment order to stop noise .Just forgot like you.

[Fleecewife]

Blondie refuses to go in there still after a couple of months, as Jethro goes for her and injures her.

Are all your chooks named after pop groups FW? 

That was Normandy Mary 
 
My Blondie's a sheep    and most of my hens have names like 'Mrs Black', Mrs Grey' and 'Buffy'.

[SallyintNorth]

Last night was the date not to make noise or il be fined so got all birds in went to bed I dident put the shutters over the windows. 5.15 all cocks crowing hens going made the abaitment order to stop noise .Just forgot like you.

Oh dear.