[SallyintNorth]

I was thinking that about the solar powered stuff - not much good here in Scotland either, and my shed isn't close enough to the house for electricity to be installed without a fair cost.  So it's back to the old DIY system - keep an eye at all times possible. 

Annie, the autocloser is battery powered, the battery just fits in the unit.  I ran mine like this very successfully in Exmoor, each battery lasted a good year, I think.  But I take jaykay's point about ducks not taking themselves to bed, so it's no help at all for ducks, only useful for hens.

[NickiWilliams]

Do I have the only ducks who take themselves to bed? They do it every night without fail, lead by Captain Underpants; shortly after the chickens have tucked themselves up and are snoring away contentedly.

I'm really intrigued now!!! 

[sabrina]

My ducks went to bed each night with the chickens.

[doganjo]

My ducks sometimes stayed out all night but that was in a Great Dane sized dog cage attached securely to their shed - impregnable to a  fox.  The issue here is that I forgot to shut their cage door. so no amount of battery or sun or electrical appliance would have helped.  Not only that there have never been foxes seen around here.  I live between a railway line and a main road with 6 foot fencing both sides, and the village is at the other side of that railway line.

[jaykay]

My new Muscovies take themselves to bed as did Mrs Call Duck with her new babies last night. But the runners and geese wait to be called and herded. And the adults Calls don't regularly come in at all.

Yes, the automatic doors are battery powered but the electric fence which AllenFrost had, which added to the safety, was solar powered. Mind you, folk run electric poulty netting from car batteries I gather. Then the worry is you switch it off to go in and collect eggs or whatever and forget to switch it back on.....

It's always something.

[Polished Arrow]

So sorry for your loss.  Ducks have huge characters, don't they, so losing them unecessarily hurts even more. 

[Penninehillbilly]

Sorry to hear about your losses, I know just how you all feel, hopefully my 'problem' has been dealt with.
My call ducks would normally be around waiting to go in, I fed them inside at nights, they spent the day foraging so maybe only got a few layers pellets if they came up to the water trough.
I don't see why solar power wouldn't work? during summer there should be enough light, winter they are shut in earlier anyway so it would be easier to remember?
I'm sure I've seen how to make a homemade one somewhere - Youtube?

[chrismahon]

We just use a 115Ah leasure battery on our Rutland unit. Runs for about a month on slow pulse and would last even longer if I switched it to daylight only. Problem is it's in a shed and on a cloudy day it may switch off. It's a good sized unit though, over 1 Joule, enough for 12 Poultry nets apparently. Batteries last about 4 years and we have a much smaller one to use while it's on charge in the house.

[doganjo]

I can't keep my hens locked in their run 24/7. That is not fair on them.  I will now only let them out in the paddock if I am around, and I have a little dog who can be out with them - she doesn't chase them.  But if I go out they will have to go back in their run which is wood fenced to 4 feet all around, and I'll try to rig up netting over the top - more as a deterrent than anything.  I'm sure foxy loxy will probably be able to overcome that.    I put them in their shed early tonight at 8pm with their tea.  Can't do any more just now, and if I think about things too much just now I'll get depressed.

[Beewyched]

Oh Annie 
I really feel for you, we lost both our hand reared goslings & most of our ducks the other week to a bl**dy fox - absolute carnage faced us that morning - lots of tears    as we collected-in the little bodies.
It's just so quite in the morning now without them running up to the door to great us.  The goslings especially had great personalities & would follow us all over the garden.  We already had 4 eggs in the incubator, due next week & although they won't replace them, it will bring back life to the garden again.
 

[Mammyshaz]

Oh that's awful, I'm worried sick re fox attack so we have a large wired run for our hens but when we are around they get let out. When we Are due to go out we rattle the treat box and they run back in for a treat. Tho it's not ideal it is still a better environment that many hens have and they are safe. They came to us at pol and now know no different. Perhaps if you get young ones of breeds that are happy confined they will enjoy. Just think of the eggs   

Sorry don't know what to advise with ducks 

Still doesn't help with the little ones you have already lost     so sorry.

[Teapot]

Am new here but wanted to say how sorry I was to hear of your losses.    We have had several fox attacks and lost quite a few chickens - the last time was in May 2011 when we lost 7 of our 11 - including my youngest daughter's favorite pet bantam.    I know how upsetting it is.  On the plus side the fact you are upset means you cared for them a lot.  <3

[doganjo]

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts, suggestions, and offers of eggs and grown birds for restocking.  I have decided not to have any more ducks for the moment and concentrate on keeping my hens safe.  Our local farmer offered 6 foot chicken wire that apparently foxes hate because of the gap size.  - and he said the next fox shot will be retribution for my drake and ducks.

[Mammyshaz]

Great to hear you have good help close by  ,  Hope they get the troublemaker and you can enjoy giving some new girlies such a loving home. 

[HelenVF]

Just caught up with this (busy week!), and I'm really sorry   I lost a couple to a fox earlier this year and it's horrible. 

Helen