Fox attack

[UKchooks]

I don't have a crate etc to keep them in inside the house, plus with three autistic/ADHD kids plus a cat in a small house it's never dark or quiet (school holidays here in the UK right now).

I do have a spare coop which is small and wooden with a small attached run made of wood-and-wire aviary panels. Thinking of putting them in this within the large walk-in run during the day for extra security until I can get the large run upgraded (I have to work all day tomorrow and Saturday).

I will try scrambled eggs, thanks. Lindor (hen with wounded comb) drank some sugar water and ate a little cooked pasta (her favouite). Toffee (unwounded hen) is eating and drinking relatively well and even ventured out of the coop for a (closely supervised) walk around the run.

Losing birds to a predator is horrible, not only because of the loss and/or injury to your birds (and, often, the guilt you feel about letting them down) but because you lose your sense of security.

Suddenly, every sound in the night feels like something is after your birds. Even now, years after a mink attack and with all of my runs upgraded to hardware cloth, I still jump up in the middle of the night if one of my dogs barks because it hears a far-away coyote singing.

Yes, this is exactly how I feel

 

[McChooky]

I don't have a crate etc to keep them in inside the house, plus with three autistic/ADHD kids plus a cat in a small house it's never dark or quiet (school holidays here in the UK right now).

I do have a spare coop which is small and wooden with a small attached run made of wood-and-wire aviary panels. Thinking of putting them in this within the large walk-in run during the day for extra security until I can get the large run upgraded (I have to work all day tomorrow and Saturday).

I will try scrambled eggs, thanks. Lindor (hen with wounded comb) drank some sugar water and ate a little cooked pasta (her favouite). Toffee (unwounded hen) is eating and drinking relatively well and even ventured out of the coop for a (closely supervised) walk around the run.


Yes, this is exactly how I feel

Until I joined this site I never knew to use hardware cloth on their coops.

 

[McChooky]

I don't have a crate etc to keep them in inside the house, plus with three autistic/ADHD kids plus a cat in a small house it's never dark or quiet (school holidays here in the UK right now).

I do have a spare coop which is small and wooden with a small attached run made of wood-and-wire aviary panels. Thinking of putting them in this within the large walk-in run during the day for extra security until I can get the large run upgraded (I have to work all day tomorrow and Saturday).

I will try scrambled eggs, thanks. Lindor (hen with wounded comb) drank some sugar water and ate a little cooked pasta (her favouite). Toffee (unwounded hen) is eating and drinking relatively well and even ventured out of the coop for a (closely supervised) walk around the run.


Yes, this is exactly how I feel

Don't stretch yourself too thin! Being kindhearted can be draining at times. Before my daughter in law passed I only had 2 cats now I have 14.She had possums coming in the bedroom window thru a pet door in her catio .It was connected to the house

 

[McChooky]

I've heard many people say after an attack their chickens wouldn't roost inside the coop but after they made small changes like raising the roosting bars higher or just on the opposite side made them feel it was safe again. Hope this helps!

 

[UKchooks]

Thank you all for the advice and sympathy.

Update - I kept them shut in the coop overnight, let them out for an hour in the morning before work, then shut them in it again while I was at work and let them out for a couple of hours (supervised) when I came home. Heavy duty hardware cloth and stainless steel ties have been ordered and are arriving tomorrow. I will do as much as I can after work to refit the run, though I don't think I will get it all done tomorrow.

Toffee seems relatively OK and has enjoyed the chance to stretch her legs when I've let her out. Lindor is still staying put mostly, though she briefly emerged when I brought them some babycorn before shutting them away for the night. She enjoyed her scrambled eggs this morning and has drunk some sugar water. However, she is keeping one eye shut, which is concerning.

 

[McChooky]

Thank you all for the advice and sympathy.

Update - I kept them shut in the coop overnight, let them out for an hour in the morning before work, then shut them in it again while I was at work and let them out for a couple of hours (supervised) when I came home. Heavy duty hardware cloth and stainless steel ties have been ordered and are arriving tomorrow. I will do as much as I can after work to refit the run, though I don't think I will get it all done tomorrow.

Toffee seems relatively OK and has enjoyed the chance to stretch her legs when I've let her out. Lindor is still staying put mostly, though she briefly emerged when I brought them some babycorn before shutting them away for the night. She enjoyed her scrambled eggs this morning and has drunk some sugar water. However, she is keeping one eye shut, which is concerning.

Thanks for the update and hope the fencing isn't too difficult. I haven't lost any birds with it

 

[Love Donkeys]

Sorry for your loss. I know when chickens die like that it it breaks your heart....

A friend has a few Nigerian Dwarf Goats. She would lock them in their barn at night but the Coyotes would still get in. They also have Bluetick Coonhounds which stay in a large run when they are not using them for hunting. Last year they decided to extend the dogs run to completely encompass their little goat barn. They haven't lost a kid to Coyotes since the run change. During the day the goats and dogs hang out together in the run.

 

[Goodwellwater]

The only thing that works is 1/2" hardwarre cloth.(chicken wire works until it doesn't) We have a whole section here on building coops and runs .Most predators would starve if they couldn't climb or jump a 6 ft fence to get a free meal.You will lose more of your chickens if you don't upgrade your coop and put an apron around the bottom to keep our diggers.Im impressed you took one to the vet and had it put down to prevent it suffering.You have a good heart.

If you reinforced the chicken wire of a run with hardware cloth, how high would it need to be? Raccoons will be my biggest concern (not in the chicken business but thinking about it.). An occasional dog and possibly a fox. Haven’t seen any but we do have them in this area. Chickens might draw them. Would 4’ of hardware cloth be enough?

 

[McChooky]

If you reinforced the chicken wire of a run with hardware cloth, how high would it need to be? Raccoons will be my biggest concern (not in the chicken business but thinking about it.). An occasional dog and possibly a fox. Haven’t seen any but we do have them in this area. Chickens might draw them. Would 4’ of hardware cloth be enough?

Crow tried to rip the hw cloth off my coop once.Scared the chicks so bad they refused to come out for a week.

 

[Goodwellwater]

Crow tried to rip the hw cloth off my coop once.Scared the chicks so bad they refused to come out for a week.

It seems like nothing is going to stop that terrorism, but I figure he didn’t get in. My concern is way more about ground predators. My thought is can someone climb up above 4’, hang on and chew through the chicken wire above the HW cloth?