Save the Chickens

Our poor chickens have been under attack since the weekend of Thanksgiving.  I started out with 40 or so in early fall and today I counted 20, 18 hens and 2 roosters.  Back in late summer we had to put our livestock guardian dog down. I guess I didn't truly appreciate all that Lance did to protect the flock, but I am beginning to get it.  Predation is worse in winter anyway, and apparently something or several somethings are treating our unguarded, free-range flock as its own private buffet. 

I do think part of the losses are from aerial predators.  We have seen hawks about, both red tails and chicken hawks.  And we hear owls.  We have also seen fox, coyote, raccoon and bobcat in the area at times not to mention domestic dogs and cats, so there is no shortage of predators around.

So yesterday when I found yet another clump of owner-less feathers in the snow, I decided enough was enough.  I inventoried what we had around to work with and came up with a plan to quickly attach a run to the hen house.  I firmly believe that chickens allowed to really free range are healthier and produce better eggs, but I guess they would prefer confinement to a house and run rather than say, being dead. 

First I cleaned the bedding out of the house, put it in the composter and replaced it with clean.  I usually use recycled paper shreds from the school for bedding, but this time I used some very old hay that had been stored in the barn too long to be any good for feed.  Next I used a section of our portable electric fence to make the run.  It was difficult to stick the posts in the frozen ground, but doable.  I doubled the fence around twice because it was too long and I didn't want to cut it.  I figured double fencing couldn't hurt anyhow.  Finally, I stretched bird netting tightly over the run and attached it to the fence with cable ties.  Last time I tried the poultry net fencing, my chickens just flew right over it any time they felt like it, so hopefully the top netting will keep them in as well as "death from above" out.



I managed to persuade most of the chickens that this was a good idea.  I still have four renegade hens to capture somehow, but that is a job for another day.

The horses were extremely curious about this new arrangement and were totally in the way during the whole project.  They are inspecting the finished project in the photo above.



A view from about halfway up the hill.  Still plenty of snow here, but it is starting to melt.