[BarnBrian]

I had four exbats for almost a year, they range on our acre garden from dawn till dusk whether we are there or not. This morning at about eight their was an almighty screeching from all four of them, I ran out to see a fox with a pile of feathers and chickens running all over the place. I managed to get what I thought was the remaining three back into their run and then went to give the bad news to my lady. We were both devastated but figured they've been having such a quality life that we should just carry on letting them continue ranging. When my lady came down to get her coat she heard a scuffling in the cloakroom, and lo and behold the fourth girl was hiding under the shoe rack
Our main concern is that now the fox has knows there here it's just a matter of time before he's back again.
Any advice

Brian

[Foxy]

I am afraid he will just take your hens one by one if they are free ranging.

Have a look here for tips to protect them,sounds like electric poultry netting might b ethe way to go though

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=25998.0

[danmegal]

Don't suppose there is a great deal you can do if you still want them to roam free! Mr or Mrs Foxy will be back no doubt, tricky one! I am on constant fox watch at the mo, a big dog fox is always in the field at the rear of our garden but is yet to make it in, doesn't stop me letting the chucks out but I do keep them in the pen if we are out for any length of time and even then I leave my dogs in the garden to keep an eye out.

[Jeanette]

  Please be carefull I left my girls for a quarter of an hour last year and the fox had got them all when I went back. It is hearbreaking. I now have a very large walkin avery that I keep my girls in but the fox is always around once they know that chooks are there the fox will not go    Jeanette

[poultrygeist]

It's the big risk. Soudns like they were extremely lucky or you disturbed the fox just in the nick of time.

Try not to think of confinement as a bad thing for them, if it's a big area and is to protect them.

A dog is probably one of the more effective deterrants.

Rob

[andreadon]

sorry to hear that.
hopefully, the previous posts will help!

my main thing is that now they will be very scared and traumitized- they're going to need some extra love and cuddles to get over it. 
also, ours got into a habit of sleeping at the highest point they could get to and cowering as soon as dusk hit - you will need to keep an eye on them to make sure that they're going to bed at night.
(and please bear in mind that we'd never seen or heard of a fox in our area for the 5 years we'd lived there until we got the chickens)

[BarnBrian]

I've just let them back out as they weren't happy in the run. They're now happily sunning themselves (in between rain showers). Sprayed the perimeter hedge and fence with Scoot so hopefully this will help.
Brian

[Sweetbriar]

A question really. We had only had our three chickens for six weeks when the fox took them. We were devastated and felt so guilty that we hadn't protected them properly. It was worse because our four year old grand daughter had helped choose and name them.

Anyway, we are just finishing off installing some electric poultry netting before getting some replacements which hopefully will keep the fox out. However, I am worried that the children (aged 4 and 2) might touch the netting.....

Does anyone have any thoughts, experience etc that may be useful?