Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Sparky74]

The rescued hen is doing fine. Not like my last remaining Light Sussex who was mauled fox and died a day or two later. This hen only had her feathers ruffled.

My hens free range the whole backyard and building a fox proof yard is out of the question financially. They get locked up safe and sound at night but if the fox is now coming in during daylight hours...

Someone has suggested old tyres as they don’t like the smell of rubber. Someone else reckons if I, um, er, "mark my territory" in the backyard that should keep the fox away. I guess anything is worth a try.

 

[EverythingZen]

I don't think you can ever entirely fox proof a yard, sadly. Like you said, they even come out in daylight to hunt. I'm sorry to hear you're losing some of yours to the cunning little buggers, sparky.

Btw, I'm anna, and I live in Wallacia, a semi rural place south of Penrith in NSW. I've got 3 awesome muscovies and am hoping to get my chookies in the new year. I'm not sure of what breed yet, as I'm worried about them in the heat. They will have a coop for nights but I want them to free range in the day. My yard has heaps of shade, but I still worry about overheating. It's been bloody hot, especially the last few weeks.

What breeds do you guys find cope best in our summers? We get only mild frost in winter, so I'm not too concerned about cold.

 

[satay]

I don't think you can ever entirely fox proof a yard, sadly. Like you said, they even come out in daylight to hunt. I'm sorry to hear you're losing some of yours to the cunning little buggers, sparky.

Btw, I'm anna, and I live in Wallacia, a semi rural place south of Penrith in NSW. I've got 3 awesome muscovies and am hoping to get my chookies in the new year. I'm not sure of what breed yet, as I'm worried about them in the heat. They will have a coop for nights but I want them to free range in the day. My yard has heaps of shade, but I still worry about overheating. It's been bloody hot, especially the last few weeks.

What breeds do you guys find cope best in our summers? We get only mild frost in winter, so I'm not too concerned about cold.

I have found most do. We get extremely hot out here the whole of summer and 1 have only ever lost a couple it was just under 50c and they were older birds. I have aussies and marans and belgian duccles and leghorns at the moment but have had many different breeds over the years. If it get above 40c i turn on the sprinklers above their houses and that cools them down a bit. Though i do find alot of them don't bother to go in though they hang out under the gums if it gets too hot.

 

[LuckysMum]

I do the same ifs it hot. I got and a mister from Bunnings. I put it under the trees its the coolest place.

 

[Zoomum]

Brisbane, inherited 3 chooks in a tiny aviary yesterday afternoon. Thanks Gumtree. Batting the heat and humidity trying to put up a run with all the "stuff" hubby has laying around our 2.5 acres. Heat got to me so I've left him out there and with luck by tomorrow the girls should have their house relocated into the shade with a nice run to keep the Border Collie and German Shepherd out. "They onlwant to play, and the dogs won't bother them if they don't move" wisdom from himself!.
We are going to turn an old alumni up garden shed into a new coop for them I. The next few weeks. It will be like the Taj Mahal compared to the cramped conditions they are in now. Aviary is 1.5 x 0.78 x 1.8m. That's just mean.

 

[Sparky74]

I don't think you can ever entirely fox proof a yard, sadly. Like you said, they even come out in daylight to hunt. I'm sorry to hear you're losing some of yours to the cunning little buggers, sparky.

Btw, I'm anna, and I live in Wallacia, a semi rural place south of Penrith in NSW. I've got 3 awesome muscovies and am hoping to get my chookies in the new year. I'm not sure of what breed yet, as I'm worried about them in the heat. They will have a coop for nights but I want them to free range in the day. My yard has heaps of shade, but I still worry about overheating. It's been bloody hot, especially the last few weeks.

What breeds do you guys find cope best in our summers? We get only mild frost in winter, so I'm not too concerned about cold.

I haven’t lost any more chooks to the fox, yet.

I’m hoping to set some Barred Plymouth Rock eggs and also some Light Sussex eggs in the incubator next week. I really don’t want to raise chicks just to feed the local fox(es).

In regard to heat, chooks seem to be fairly hardy. I give mine a sprinkler in the yard on the hottest of days but they seem to cope. As long as they have shade, water to drink and somewhere to dust-bathe. I’m not sure if some breeds cope better in the heat than others but I believe that all chooks are descended from a jungle fowl from the tropics.

 

[LuckysMum]

Merry Christmas, I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday. Best wishes for health and happiness for 2018.

 

[EverythingZen]

Thanks sparky. I think I will stop worrying so much about the heat. Like foxes, you can do so much and then the rest is out of our hands. It's reassuring to know so many of you in very hot places don't have heat issues. I'll add a mister to the shopping list, but it's probably going to be the end of summer when I finally get everything ready.

My kids are finally asleep, and once more I have left all the wrapping til Christmas Eve. I'll never learn

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

 

[Teila]

Merry Christmas All

 

[Sparky74]

I gave my wife a new game for Christmas: