[doganjo]

As you may know, Mr or Mrs Fox came and decimated my ducks, then came back a few weeks later for my hens - all but one.

They were in the front paddock, which has 4ft wooden horizontal board fencing, they were in 5 foot runs with shed and pop holes.  On those two occasions only I had forgotten to close the popholes, so I can only blame myself.

I decided to move the remaining hen and the 6 more I received from a friend to the back garde, and into my dog kennels in the garage - 6 foot metal runs in and out with a pophole, covered with wooden supports and a netting roof which is tied to the run bars. It is very easy to keep clean with a concrete floor inside and slabs outside.  I reckon they are now as safe as I can make them, however, I haven't yet had the courage to let them free range, for various reasons
1.  My dogs use the back garden so I'd need to shut them in their own run first,
2.  I still have to net off some of the fence down to ground level - it is 6 foot high so a bit more secure. - so they can't wander off.
3.  My new pond and surrounding flower beds are still young and I don't want them decimated yet!

So thoughts please on how I can let them have a wee bit more freedom, or do they really need it?  They have branches in their outside run, and a dust bath
I do have a few lightweight mesh panels I can clip together into a sort of cage so I could put a few in at a time and move it around so they can chomp the weeds on the gravel.

Also I'd like more ducks and they'd go in the other run - how long should I wait before letting them loose on the pond and shrubs - maybe till next summer?  Happy to wait till then.  Or would they still decimate them?

[jaykay]

When I lived in a town garden Annie, my chooks had their run and house. But when I was around, I used to make a run in the garden, from those lightweight clip together panels, and that way they got fresh grass and a different view 

Ducks will decimate your pond regardless. My runners don't do much damage to the garden (or maybe I don't notice, that bit of the garden is nothing special after the dogs and goats get at it 

[doganjo]

Thanks, Jaykay.  I wondered if I could maybe let them out for an hour or so before dark a few times a week  - they maybe wouldn't do too much damage in that time?