[Geeza]

Well we now have egg's Our “5” girls have started laying and we have even had a double yolker!!!. Today our neighbour knocked on the door to inform me that his wife had seen a fox with a chicken outside her house at 10 o’clock this morning (It was now 3.30!!!!). She scared it and it dropped the chicken that ran over the road. From there it has flown to other pastures and no one knows where…. The question here is …. Has Mr Fox been in our run?? Enclosed with a six foot fence and only taken one hen? Or has the hen flown out of the enclosure to be found by the fox?? I always thought that if a fox got in to a run it would kill everything!!Or is this one going to be coming every day?

Prompt reply would be appreciated please I don’t want to loose any more

[Rosemary]

I don't know about the fox getting in but we've lost single hens presumably to the fox. We've never, touch wood, had a massacre so I'm not sure how true that is that they kill all the hens.

[Frugaldom]

If you are a chicken short but there's absolutely no signs of a fox having gained entry, I'd go along the lines of one startled hen managing to clear the 6 foot fence if it isn't meshed over the top. I've now got fine netting over the top of my runs, but it's more a precaution against a buzzard or hawk grabbing anything. I watched one last week swoop and attempt to lift a live adult pheasant!  What an almighty hullabaloo that was. I was very surprised, as I thought buzzards prefered carrion to preying on live stuff. Could anything else have 'helped' your hen out over the fence and then it just be unfortunate that the fox was about at the same time?

[sellickbhoy]

was speakign to my neighbourly farmers the other day, they keep chickens and they were telling me it's badgers that you have to watch for - they'll kill all the birds in a run if they get in, but a fox will eat one and come back later

but don't know if that's the law, or how law abiding foxes are!!!

sorry to hear you lost a bird, go borrow a friends terrier and see if it can get into your run that should help solve if the fox got in or the bird got out.

[shetlandpaul]

were lucky up here we don't have Foxes or badgers but we do have polecats and otters. If a fox had found a way in there would be evidence feathers etc. We have had chickens on our roof so they could easily clear 6ft. if they get on top of the coop then its only a small jump to get over. put something like a fruit cage net over the top of them and they should be fine. if it finds away in then it will be back. A cheap electric fence may work. Ive herd that poo from a larger predator will scare them off. if nothing else works then you will need to have it killed.

[sausagesandcash]

The fox is a sly ol' devil...he'll take just one every time he calls..... got a .22 and a lamp?

[Geeza]

Have seen him again today but no interest in the chucks. Dont think he was in the pen as there were no feathers or noise. Presume she flew into a lunch.

If he does come over yup I have a 22

[Wellieboots]

Buzzards can take chooks, I watched one swoop & snatch one of our Black rocks last year when it was around 20 weeks old, by the time I got out it had done a "flyer" into the woods. Found oor chook later, needless to say it was like a Norwegian Blue Parrot...an ex chook!
Buzzards are opportunists like any raptor so will take what appears as easy prey!

[xxmillyxx]

we saw 2 foxes in the quarry last night, needless to say a friend is coming on Friday to see if he can "see" them again.

OMG I've just got my hens - don't want to lose them already.

As to the terrier theme -  I was given a Patterdale puppy in November so he is now about 6 months old (from good hunting stock may I add) and I showed him a live mouse yesterday and what did he do - HE RAN OFF !?!

LOL

[shetlandpaul]

Shame on you you know hunting with dogs is banned. are the foxes with young i thought they were more a night animal 10am seems late for it to be about. Maybe a young one kicked out by its parents. If its not hunting your chucks dont kill it. the fox that moves in to fill its space may like chicken more.

[sellickbhoy]

one of the  's near me has Ultra Free Range  's - they are often seen wandering around one of his 4/5 acre fields.

however, we have a pair of buzzards that live in the woods by my house. i often see the buzzards sitting atop telegraph poles licking their lips in anticipation 

i always wondered if a buzzard would take one - but  doesn't seem too concerned.


on the subject of dogs, i have a heinz 57, bit collie, springer, pointer - he hunts all sorts - beetles, ants, he did have a mouse last week, but he hasn't really got the kill instinct in him at all, it's kinda pathetic really. On the plus side, he   doesn't go after other animals - which is great as i'm surrounded by lambs now!!! had a close call this morning, on our usual walk we go by an empty field, but there were a few sheep with lambs in this morning, my Fella ran in to see them. if the farmer was about i'd have a dead dog now, as fella walked right up to the lamb, sniffed, went up to a sheep, sniffed and then came racing back to me. But looks like i'll be changing the morning walk to avoid another run in!!!

[shetlandpaul]

yes you were lucky. the dog could cause problems by just being in the field. Im sure yours is a very good dog but the sheep think he is a savage killer. Our house dog tried to face down our ram a few weeks ago he will not anymore i think he discovered the pointy things are hard.

[doganjo]

If there is a lot of gundog in him he shouldn't kill.  They are bred to retrieve not to kill. Working gundogs are trained to ignore other animals such as sheep, pigs, cattle, horses. Trouble is a farmer can't see that - his stock is the most important thing and if a dog just goes in a field with sheep it will be shot - it is his right.

[shetlandpaul]

luckly most farmers will try to get the dog under control first. But they have the right to shoot even if its just in the field.

[sellickbhoy]

yup, it was a lucky one this morning. Normally the field is empty, but of course, this is the time of year that farmers will move sheep around, so it was a bit of a shock to see sheep in there (not that that is a concern of the farmer!!)

i'll be avoiding teh field for a while - there are plenty other walks for him!

he's pretty good at ignoring other animals, but the farmer ain't to know that and i don't want to take the risk. Plus i'm sure teh por wee lambs don't take too kindly to being sniffed at by strange dogs.