[mad mark]

Hi all my ladies are arriving on Sunday my fence is only 39inches high with a bit of chicken wire on top, I am putting a skirt around the fence to keep it safe from any foxes. The mesh on top is galvanised ao is not the cheap stuff. Will it be safe enough do you reckon? We have a walled stoned garden with a wooden gate, but the wall at one side is only about four foot six so I reckon a fox could get over it. They do have a very posh wooden shed 6 x 4 which I have cleaned up for them with a perch and a nesting box so hopefully they will enjoy! Will put up a pic when they are in...... Any advice for day one??

[andreadon]

if you put a picture of your  run up, we'll be able to tell you if it needs anything else adding (fox-proof-wise)

[mad mark]

Will get a picture up as soon as I get my camera back from the kids.... Should I keep the girls in for a day do you think to get them used to the new quarters and on Monday I will be out working all day. I could pop home at lunch on the bike I guess. Its like having kids all over again without the hospitals involvement.......Cheers and thanks for the assistance to all who contribute to the site, its very informative.

[shiatsusu]

How eggciting!! Looking forward to pics of the ladies 

[Vember]

Hi MM

I would be concerned about the 4foot 6 wall Chickens (breed depending) are good flyers so something to consider on top of the fox threat

What I normally do with new birds (when not adding to an existing flock) is put them straight into the house part and leave them there for an hour or so before letting them out to roam.


Sarah

[shiatsusu]

And Mr F will climb upto 6 foot fences if they're tight enough. Seems to be counter intuitive to have baggy fences but they are more fox proof, or so we were told 

[Carolyn]

Happy new chucks!! I think your fences should be higher cos chucks can fly and foxes can climb. My fences are set into the ground and I have put extra plastic fencing on the top. It is orange, and is quite open if you know the type I mean. Hopefully anything that tries to climb won't be able to get a grip on this plastic stuff - I'd put a picture on so I could show you what I mean but I don't know how - techno-ignoramuss, I know!  When I got my first hens they were due to go to a battery so as babies had never seen the light of day.  I put them straight into their house and left the door open while I was at the allotment and locked them in when I went home.  It took about 4 days before they ventured out, but I left them to do it in their own time. I did the same with my new banties, but they came out straight away, so they're all different. Good luck and can't wait to see the pics

[andreadon]

i would be inclined to make the fence 6ft ish high with a mesh roof, so that you can enter the run without stooping.  and if you put the mesh above your wall so that the wall is slightly inside, then the chickies can use it as a perch during the day (sunbathing etc).
they also fly up to high levels if they think they are being threatened, so it's wise top have something up higher for that purpose.
(obviously the run needs to be a complete polygon....)(with a door)