[addy]

birds about 12 weeks old, can happily take themselves to bed now, have three Gold Bramhas, can i leave the coop open now and let them roam free during the day?  Are they old enough?  Foxes not a problem, though i have caught the hawk eyeing them up.....

will they just come back to where their water / food is? i live in an open field, so no fences to keep them form wandering....

thanks

[Roughlee Handled]

Just as a question why do you believe foxes are not a problem?  I only ask as that is what I though till..............

[addy]

As there are a thousand cheepers on the ground for the local shoot and the gamekeeper keeps everything just so...

[Roughlee Handled]

As there are a thousand cheepers on the ground ....

? ? ? Is that some type of bird?

If they know there home (the coop) and they come back at night. Then you should just be able to let them out at in the morning and in at night at 12 weeks old.

I would strongly advise that you do not keep them in an uncontained environment as this is inviting the fox.  You may not have any losses immediately but I can guarantee you you will.  Admittedly the fox will be killed by the local game keepers but another fox will fill the fallen foxes shoes.

Take it from me.  I lost my whole flock. No I am belt and braises.

[jo40]

Hello Addy

I agree with Roughly H, the land behind our house has an abundance of easy pick rabbits, that didn't stop the fox scaling a 6ft fence.... for a 'change' in diet, or 'just for fun'  who knows.
It's cost me twice as much now, installing electric fencing and replacing half my birds
But that's nothing compared to the site of finding our little friends scattered all over the garden.

'Belt and braces' from now on for me.
Jo

[too many girls]

agree with Ruffle, there's no such thing as "no problem with foxes" i hope you don't find out the hard way like we did

[addy]

cheepers = baby partridge,

so leccy fence it is then, oh well more things to buy.......  :blink:

[woodside farm]

Hi,
I had a pheasant farm behind my last place, 10,000's birds, even though the farmers went out shooting foxes regulaly, we still lost a few chickens to foxes.
Michelle xx

[poppies]

we have today lossed one of our hybrids to some sort of bird of prey, nothing has broke into the run, all that was left  was a pile of feathers and this was a fully grown hen

[Roughlee Handled]

we have today lossed one of our hybrids to some sort of bird of prey, nothing has broke into the run, all that was left  was a pile of feathers and this was a fully grown hen

sounds like a fox.

[poppies]

we have today lossed one of our hybrids to some sort of bird of prey, nothing has broke into the run, all that was left  was a pile of feathers and this was a fully grown hen

sounds like a fox.

thats what oh thinks

[Roughlee Handled]

How did "it" get it to the run?

[addy]

open topped run...?

I am trying to identify the bird of prey that was eyeing up mine behind the wire in their Ark, fairly sure it was a Marsh Harrier....not a small one, though not as big as a buzzard and deffo not a Kestral.....

[Roughlee Handled]

At 10 -11 weeks old mine are out of the youngun's run (it has a mesh roof) and into an open topped run.

[poppies]

Been all round the pen again this morning still cannot see how a fox got in did see 2 buzzards over the bottom field though could they carry a hen off ?

sorry to steal thread