BYC Café

[DobieLover]

If the fox wants to come in now it will have to climb 4' of fence then get its nose fried on the hotwire that runs just over the top of the knotted fence.

Do you have a ground wire up there to connect the circuit? Otherwise, Mr. Fox's feeties are off the ground and he will feel absolutely nothing when his nose hits the wire.

 

[bruceha2000]

There is a ground wire running over top of the hot wire. And if Mr. Fox has his feet on the fence he will ground anyway. 2x4 knotted wire on T posts except at the corners and gates.

 

[Perris]

I am so sorry!

You will likely keep them locked in a predator proof coop or run until the fox is taken care of?

No can do - I don't have any run at all; just the housing where they spend the night. I can rig up a temporary one under the trampoline, but they really moan and complain the whole time when I have confined some thus, for whatever purpose.

Predators are the downside of free-ranging. I would prefer a happy if potentially shorter life free to come and go as I choose over a long life in prison, so that's the life I give my birds. I chose the breeds I have for predator-awareness, amongst other things, and I will help them by responding immediately whenever the alert call goes up, until I'm confident that the fox family is gone. We've had two great years since the last attack, and hopefully will have many more going forward.

 

[Shadrach]

Good morning Cafe. It's certainly a better morning weather wise here.
Coffee is made. Tea and stuff on the counter.
How's Sven and the flocks this morning @Perris? Did yer man get the fox?

 

[Perris]

Good morning Cafe. It continues dry here - 2nd month in a row...
Thanks for the coffee - much needed, and enjoyed!

Many thanks all for your messages of support on the fox attack. I'm pleased to report that the two cocks made it through the night, and are both standing periodically, though have no interest in food or water. We will just have to wait and see. They are sharing a dog crate right outside the front door. The rest of the flock pop by periodically to look in on them. Gigi seems especially concerned for her bro, Obelix.

 

[Shadrach]

No can do - I don't have any run at all; just the housing where they spend the night. I can rig up a temporary one under the trampoline, but they really moan and complain the whole time when I have confined some thus, for whatever purpose.

Predators are the downside of free-ranging. I would prefer a happy if potentially shorter life free to come and go as I choose over a long life in prison, so that's the life I give my birds. I chose the breeds I have for predator-awareness, amongst other things, and I will help them by responding immediately whenever the alert call goes up, until I'm confident that the fox family is gone. We've had two great years since the last attack, and hopefully will have many more going forward.

I've been discussing something like this with my Finnish acquaintance who keeps free range multicoop chickens. We couldn't help noticinng just how badly humans fare, particularly on the mental health front when they get confined to their coops and runs.

 

[DobieLover]

Good morning, Cafe! Thanks for the coffee and 'stuff', Shad.
That is such great news that the boys made it through the night, Perris. I really hope they both pull through.
I agree with both of you about a shorter happy life vs a long unhappy one. I cut a compromise in my situation by keeping my birds confined to their 1/3 acre behind poultry netting as they seem to have no qualms about going into the road and were really making nuisances of themselves by going into the neighbors yards. And I don't even want to discuss the neighbors rotten GSDs.
My flock has a huge run but they still stream out the run door as soon as I open it in the morning.
Aunt Olivia sharing some bird seed with a bedraggled looking Kerrie.

Why do broody hens looks so ragged in the tail? Barb molted in early August and the first thing to go was her tail...

 

[sourland]

Good morning cafe - good to all.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good morning Cafe. It continues dry here - 2nd month in a row...
Thanks for the coffee - much needed, and enjoyed!

Many thanks all for your messages of support on the fox attack. I'm pleased to report that the two cocks made it through the night, and are both standing periodically, though have no interest in food or water. We will just have to wait and see. They are sharing a dog crate right outside the front door. The rest of the flock pop by periodically to look in on them. Gigi seems especially concerned for her bro, Obelix.

Try giving them mashed egg.

 

[ronott1]

No can do - I don't have any run at all; just the housing where they spend the night. I can rig up a temporary one under the trampoline, but they really moan and complain the whole time when I have confined some thus, for whatever purpose.

Predators are the downside of free-ranging. I would prefer a happy if potentially shorter life free to come and go as I choose over a long life in prison, so that's the life I give my birds. I chose the breeds I have for predator-awareness, amongst other things, and I will help them by responding immediately whenever the alert call goes up, until I'm confident that the fox family is gone. We've had two great years since the last attack, and hopefully will have many more going forward.

I have found that to be an intriguing way of raising chickens. If a person lived in a place with a lot of predators it seems to make sense to have some type of protection while they "free range" like poultry netting.

If I had predators here I would I would use something like this: