A FOX GOT IN THE COOP!

[FarmBoy25]

Hope she gets better.
And yes please post pictures so that our experienced bird keepers can take a look. I joined yesterday, and have very little experience. But as for your defense measures, there is not much more you can do. Hang in there!

 

[RodNTN]

I will try to get some pictures of her tonight too, once we get her cleaned up. I'm not sure the pictures will show much...I couldn't see anything other than blood and ruffled feathers when I looked last night and both times today. But I will do anything to get her help!

Is there anything we should be careful about in regard to when we will put her back outside with the temps outside being much colder than what our house is? I know there is the debate about having a heater in the coop during winter, so I'm just wondering if there would be any issues reintroducing them to the cold.

I'm sure the cold won't bother her as long as you take care of her neck before you put her back outside

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

We do have chicken wire on the top of our run. It is completely enclosed with no way for something to get in without some real effort. Except for right now with the ice build up...

I suggest exchanging that chicken wire with hardwire cloth. Coons and foxes can chew through chicken wire but not hardwire cloth. Bury it about 6inches into the earth on the sides too. Sorry to hear about your duck. Pictures would be beneficial.

 

[TheAmundsons]

@A_Fowl_Guy thank you for that suggestion. We will definitely consider it. We make sure to do a thorough check of the coop every morning when we let everyone out to free range, and again when we lock them up at night. We haven’t had any issues with ground predators before, so we may be rethinking some things come spring when it’s warm enough to do a lot of work outside.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

@A_Fowl_Guy thank you for that suggestion. We will definitely consider it. We make sure to do a thorough check of the coop every morning when we let everyone out to free range, and again when we lock them up at night. We haven’t had any issues with ground predators before, so we may be rethinking some things come spring when it’s warm enough to do a lot of work outside.

One of the many downsides to winter. Right now I have a pig pen falling over until spring.

 

[The Lazy L]

...ice build up that prevents us from fully closing the door to the coop...saw another fox INSIDE the run...our birds have 24/7 access to a run that is completely enclosed. ...

Run is completely enclosed? I confuse easy, completely enclosed then how did a fox get in?

 

[TheAmundsons]

@The Lazy L as mentioned in the beginning of the part you quoted, "ice build up that prevents us from fully closing the door to the coop."

 

[bruceha2000]

We do have chicken wire on the top of our run.

Sorry to hear about the attack and super happy you didn't lose your birds. THREE foxes, I bet they've been casing the joint ever since you got the chickens and got lucky with the ice problem this one time.

Chicken wire is good for keeping chickens in/out not much else. I think on the top it will keep avian predators out but a coon or fox can rip through if it wants to. And yes both climb.

Sounds like you need to invest in an ice chipper to clear that doorway. Even just a heavy metal pipe will work, anything to break up the ice so you don't destroy the door forcing it closed. In a pinch you can use a drill and make a bunch of holes in the ice/frozen ground so you can dig it out.

I suggest that when spring comes and you do "remodeling" that you put a 6" board across the door opening on the side the door swings away from and shorten the door a few inches so it can clear ice and snow (*). As a benefit, the board gives you a tight "seal" at the bottom to keep predators from forcing the door.

I wouldn't worry about putting the pair back outside assuming it isn't 70°F in side and 0°F outside. They've been out all winter so far and have the proper feathering to keep warm.

* wish I'd done something like that with the auto door in the coop (converted horse stall) which opens to the barn alley, the girls' indoor run. I have to clear the pine shavings out from the opening and in front of the door every evening when I close up the barn so it can swing closed.

 

[TheAmundsons]

@bruceha2000 I like that idea with adding the board. We will definitely give that a shot! Honestly, we want to move the coop to our other barn (it's set up PERFECTLY and would only need minor additions) but there is no electricity out there, so we'd have no way to have heated waterers in the winter. We're going to add electric and water out there when we build our new house, but that's still a couple years away.

What do you recommend for the top of the run? We didn't really know what else to do, as we wanted them to have some room to sunbathe on the days their locked up. Part of the top is covered with an awning that comes off the barn, but that only sticks out like 2 ft, and the other 16 ft is chicken wire.

We just stole an ice chipper from my mother in law, and came up with a good solution to prevent it from happening in the future, thankfully.

As far as the temperature difference, our house is set at 65, and it gets into negative temperatures at night, with the days ranging from 10-30 degrees. Do you think that'd be an issue?

 

[bruceha2000]

I think they will be fine if you put them back out when it is in the warmer range. I know that for me going from 68° to 0° is pretty darn shocking even when I'm dressed for it!

I had a girl that survived a fox attack though it was at the end of April a few years ago. If it broke the skin it wasn't obvious. We heard her screaming and ran outside, she ran a hundred yards one way and the fox ran 100 yard to the woods. We had no idea where she was, or if she was even alive for 2 hours. Found her over at the neighbors' across the road.

My girls do not have an outdoor run, they free range when there isn't snow on the ground so I don't have experience with protecting from above. But if you have climbing critters I would think that woven wire 2x4 fence would work very well. I think the issue would be supporting it. But then if you have chicken wire up there now, I guess you have that covered. On the other hand, if the foxes and coons haven't gotten in over the top before, you might be OK with what you have.