Author Topic: How many should I replace? (Read 3257 times)

Chicken_House · « **on:** June 21, 2015, 09:29:45 pm »

A sad day for The Chicken House, a mere 3 weeks into owning and loving our Gingernut Ranger girls, Mr Fox managed to kill 2 of the 3 when they wandered too far from the house. We've been free ranging during the day when we've been around but today we left them out while we went out and are sad to see the result of us being too trusting they'd be alright. So we've 1 chicken left, how many do I replace with? I was recommended 3 to start with to prevent them fighting but if I replace with 2 and take us back to 3 in number, will the newbies now pick on our existing member? All advice welcome?

Would you also recommend us to continue and try and free range if we are around or should we just accept we have foxes close and leave them in the run, I'd prefer to free range, as they look so happy and I love their company and chirpy personalities interacting with our children but am surprised at how sad I feel that they've gone so quickly. All thoughts welcome!

Eve · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2015, 10:05:45 pm »

Oh dear, a sad day indeed

I'd have another two hens, you'll need to go through the usual slow introduction anyway and if you introduce the newbies into the territory of the surviving hen she'll be in a better position.

Regarding your question if you should only let them out whilst you're around, I would say yes if 'being around' means 'in the garden' and not just 'at home', because that fox -or any other fox- will definitely be back and take your birds as soon as you turn your back. Someone I know has the fox sitting there looking through his fence in the middle of the day, looking at him, waiting for him to go inside to make a cup of tea so that it can take its pick!

If you feel their run is too small for how you would like to see them enjoying life, perhaps you could make them a fox proof larger one you can make them happy in with treats and perches etc (just suggesting - you may already have a large run etc

). Chickens are addictive anyway, a run can never be too big as you may get some more hens in the coming years

Alternatively, you could use an electric fence to let your chickens roam around in when you're at home but inside.

Hope it goes better from now on!

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2015, 11:30:21 pm »

I have learned my lesson. Better a restricted hen than a dead one! Mine had a third of an acre of grass, shrubs and trees. Fox came on the one night I forgot to shut the hatch. One survived. She is still with me - I got 6 more, put them all in together in a small run, and no problems at all. i then extended it but roofed it with netting plus 6 foot bar fencing round the back garden and a ten foot one on the railway side. Dogs out and about all day. Hatch dropped every night.

Kimbo · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2015, 12:25:16 pm »

Im sorry to hear that.
Definitely replace asap as your poor remaining hen will be awfully lonely and probably scared too. Numbers depend on you really but I agree that your secure run can never be too big.

chrismahon · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2015, 12:40:28 pm »

You will probably find getting two newbies and putting them straight in will work. They will be on new territory and may get slightly bullied by the old girl as the pecking order is established, but things should quickly calm down.

I have read of people having chickens snatched from right under their noses by foxes, so being around won't necessarily be a deterrent.

Kimbo · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2015, 07:32:41 pm »

Ive found that introducing newbies is quite hard to predict. I intro'd 2 Cream Legbars pullets to my original flock of 6 hybrids and the older ones gave them a hard time for a week. But I recently intro's 2 Buff Sussex pullets and the Buffs duffed up everyone else!
I bet your lone girl will be glad to have company again, although she might well pull faces for a few days. She's bound to be happier with friends

Chicken_House · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2015, 10:29:13 pm »

Thank you for all your replies and help.....I ended up getting two new girls. Day 1 my existing lady looked stressed and unhappy and very much on the back foot, but day 2 she seems to have gotten the chicken memo and has been bossing them about and pecking quite a bit. They are hiding out in the coop and so introductions are slow but so far there's no major damage to anyone and I'm hoping normal happy chicken friendship will be along soon. Thanks again!

devonlady · « **Reply #7 on:** June 23, 2015, 11:17:26 pm »

Old foxy didn't come along on just the wrong night. You can be sure he was along every night and certainly will be now.

Clansman · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2015, 12:26:40 pm »

Yep, once they know there are birds they will be around EVERY night for a look in the hope of finding a way in

Kimbo · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2015, 06:00:01 pm »

Im very much a novice chicken-keeper and Im really not trying to teach my various Grandmothers and Fathers how to suck eggs....BUT!
We are in a foxy area and see foxes maybe 2/3 times a week further down our land. When we first got our chickens we saw a fox mooching round their run....they have a 7ft high run with a skirt but I don't kid myself that its fox-proof . The hens were locked in their hen house ( as we religiously do every evening ). Luckily Im a serial insomniac and our bedroom window ( always open) is directly opposite the hen house about 30 yards away so I heard Mr Fox scratching. I have one of those huge 1000 candle torches and I threw the window open, shone the big torch at him/her ( I saw her clearly), shouted so that my husband almost had a coronary and he took off sharpish ( the fox, not the husband!)
Same performance again 2 night later.
we haven't seen/heard Foxy nearby since.
Im NOT saying he hasn't sneaked up and had a look; maybe he has. Im NOT saying I have all the answers; course not; I expect to lose some hens at some stage. But our experience has been that at least our local foxes aren't as determined as some. Maybe there are easier pickings nearby ( there are actually!!), but I wonder if opportunistic foxes target easy kills first and only venture further when the easy pickings are all....dead

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2015, 11:43:08 am »

Foxes are territorial and patrol pretty well the same route at the same time every night, with diversions for dinner. Once they know where the restaurant is they'll visit it, particularly if they've cubs to feed or it's a hard Winter.