I have had my coop built and my chix freeranging for months now, although still no eggs (19 weeks)...so last night I'm gardening out back and my chix go behind their coop, which they never do. All of a sudden Camilla (head chic) starts going nuts and screaming! I think she's laying an egg and perplexed by what is happening so I get excited and go down to the bottom of the yard and see that she's yelling at her girls that she sees something. I look out beyond and there is a fox turning to run (it saw me first). So I sick my Canine American (dog) on the fox to give it a good scare and start planning to be more diligent about cloing the girls in for the night. My run is below the coop and very secure...the cat can't get in, but how persistant are foxes? I also brushed my dog and cat and put the hair behind the coop in the woods so that the fox would smell the dog that chased it if it comes around again...but how much does that really work? I really don't want to lose my flock of 5 at this point...or any point but I haven't even ever tasted a homegfrown egg! Arg....survival of the fittest is beat.
