Always great to see your words under my posts! Many thanks for lending your wisdom & experience to this project.
I was told that foxes can dig to a depth of 50cm and didn't fancy the task of putting the metal grate in vertically, so the horizontal idea is basically down to my laziness. However, i let it go because i find it hard to believe that a fox would be able to dig under from a distance in a single night. And even if it did, then what? The chickens will be safely locked up in their house. As long as i check integrity every morning there will be no easy access for foxes during the periods of the day when we are not there.
Rotating chicken paddocks sounds like an excellent idea. We have three pieces of land on which we could do this but how on earth does one lead chickens from one piece of land to another? A distance of around 100m. I suppose we could carry them if they will let us?
You can build a chicken wire / netting hoop house like tunnel for the chickens.
Also, once you train the chickens, basically, you open the door to the good food, and they will run to it.
You will get your chickens following you around in the morning.
I understand now. A portable enclosure basically. This makes sense. Can't wait to see them following me around in the morning!
Finding unvaccinated chickens is turning out to be quite a test however. Ridiculous world we live in now. Do you have any thoughts on buying vaccinated chickens? (against the flu!)
Swine-Chicken-Flu?
This thing is a "catch-all" word used by the Feds to kill off chickens.
It mostly happens because you raise chickens too tightly together with too many chickens.
And then they PCR test them, and announce, these chickens should all die.
You look for sick chickens in your flock and then isolate them. Being slow/sluggish. Or being picked on by the other birds. Put them in their own cage for a while till better, try to reintroduce to the flock.