Hens (will a fox nab them)

Madisonmenece

Hi all

we get through a fair amount of eggs in our house, and spend 3 euro on a box of 6 (organic) because the "free range" eggs in the supermarket often taste terrible in comparison.

I bought a hen run and will be getting 6 hens before the weekend, after they are roosted I was hoping to let them roam our farm yard during the day and locked in the coop in the evening. will the fox's nab them during the day or should I build a larger fenced area for them to roam.

the coop does have a small run attached however would not be suitable for permanent enclosure, I would rather the hens to roam.

its for a hobby and also it would be great to have our own fresh quality eggs

any other pointers in regards to keeping hens also appreciated.

cheers
Col

Kovu

Madisonmenece wrote: »

Hi all

we get through a fair amount of eggs in our house, and spend 3 euro on a box of 6 (organic) because the "free range" eggs in the supermarket often taste terrible in comparison.

I bought a hen run and will be getting 6 hens before the weekend, after they are roosted I was hoping to let them roam our farm yard during the day and locked in the coop in the evening. will the fox's nab them during the day or should I build a larger fenced area for them to roam.

the coop does have a small run attached however would not be suitable for permanent enclosure, I would rather the hens to roam.

its for a hobby and also it would be great to have our own fresh quality eggs

any other pointers in regards to keeping hens also appreciated.

cheers
Col

If you allow them to roam there are numerous predators- Foxes, mink, pine martin, stoat, roaming dogs etc. We used to have hens as you are right in that the taste is far superior than purchased eggs!
Looking into getting more soon now as we have cleared most of the forestry around the yard and trapped/shot foxes/vermin in the area too.

Let them out during the day and secure at night is the way to do it, keeping an eye and ear out for anything strange during the day and you should have no problem.

893bet

Madisonmenece wrote: »

Hi all

we get through a fair amount of eggs in our house, and spend 3 euro on a box of 6 (organic) because the "free range" eggs in the supermarket often taste terrible in comparison.

I bought a hen run and will be getting 6 hens before the weekend, after they are roosted I was hoping to let them roam our farm yard during the day and locked in the coop in the evening. will the fox's nab them during the day or should I build a larger fenced area for them to roam.

the coop does have a small run attached however would not be suitable for permanent enclosure, I would rather the hens to roam.

its for a hobby and also it would be great to have our own fresh quality eggs

any other pointers in regards to keeping hens also appreciated.

cheers
Col

It is definitely a risk. Any dog will also have a go! Our neighbour has a problem with a minx killing his hen. Eats their heads and that's it.

Madisonmenece

they are being kept at our dairy farm as I own a husky and an Alaskan Malamute who would both gladly get stuck in if the hens were in my own garden. there is a cat on the farm who I am not sure I would Trust but no dog and my father is usually around the farm doing every day jobs.

we will see how they go and hopefully there is no problems....

thanks

Markcheese

Get an electric poultry fence,Usualy 50 or 100 meters in length(so 25mx25m block ) you'd need a good shock on it , but it'd keep out most predators and means you can let them roam a bit...
Fox will take hens by day specially in early summer..

keep going

Our dog minds them for us , makes sure they dont travel too far and sleeps by the coop at night if the weather alright.only danger if tunder and lightening she comes in home and closes the door after her

farmersfriend

Madisonmenece wrote: »

they are being kept at our dairy farm as I own a husky and an Alaskan Malamute who would both gladly get stuck in if the hens were in my own garden. there is a cat on the farm who I am not sure I would Trust but no dog and my father is usually around the farm doing every day jobs.

we will see how they go and hopefully there is no problems....

thanks

We have a cat that thinks its a hen. It lives in the hen house wit the hens. I put the dogs in before i let hens out and cat knows there Will be no one to chase him then. Make sure u put them in before dark.

whisky_galore

Make sure fences go under ground level a good bit, foxes and other predators can burrow or wiggle through under them quite easily otherwise.

gozunda

Markcheese wrote: »

Get an electric poultry fence,Usualy 50 or 100 meters in length(so 25mx25m block ) you'd need a good shock on it , but it'd keep out most predators and means you can let them roam a bit...
Fox will take hens by day specially in early summer..

^^ This. It can be set up in a paddock or area adjacent to your hen run.

It will keep out foxes, dogs etc and can be moved to prevent the ground becoming permantly damaged. Connect to an electric fence unit.

Fence not too expensive either and will last for years.

Conmaicne Mara

Fox will take them any time of the day or night, any time of the year. He is an opportunist.

Miname

bantam hens i found are a good bit harder for predators to get at, they seem livier or something, eggs are a lot smaller though. A couple of good lads with rifles and you wont be long sorting out some of the issues.

Sam Kade

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Fox will take them any time of the day or night, any time of the year. He is an opportunist.

I have two old hens roaming around the place with a year since they stopped laying the fox doesn't go near them even though he patrols the fields around the yard He did take two of them when they just started laying :mad:

Op forget fencing hens in or fox out especially when you have dogs to guard them.

blue5000

Heard of a fox jumping in over 8 foot fence to get at free range hens, he found it harder jumping out though:pac:

gozunda

blue5000 wrote: »

Heard of a fox jumping in over 8 foot fence to get at free range hens, he found it harder jumping out though:pac:

In my experience foxes really do avoid the electric mesh fowl fencing. I have used it for years and can say that it really works in keeping out foxes

Madisonmenece

thanks for the advice guys, have ordered an electric fence to go around the coop. the coop is reasonably light but will get us going.

in regards to having to dogs to guard them, our dogs would see them on the menu before the fox would.

what are peoples preference on layers mash and whole food supplements i.e (left overs)

colrow

I laid a concrete floor about 8 * 4 feet, mixedin plenty of broken glass, and also chicken wire, to keep rats from eating through it. This was in one corner of my shed, I made a pop hole to an outside run about 10 * 12, afater three weeks in here I left the door open and they allways came back as the light fell, inside the shed i made the next boxes and roosting poles, it was covered all over by chichne wire, 8 * ^ and six feet high.

I kept them in until about 10 in the morning so that they laid there eggs before going outside. The eggs were delicous, with all the insects they ate as well as the layers mash, I used to have a few pieces of roofing I'd lay on the ground for a few weeks, when they were turned over the hens had a field day with all thejuicy worms etc !!