A few weeks ago I came home from work to find Eileen and Alice clucking around the backyard, looking confused. I was confused too. I was the first one home and they had definitely been locked in when I left. Maude was nowhere to be found.

Upon closer inspection, I realised that something (a big dog? a fox?…whatever it was had big teeth) had attacked our run and managed to snap the door frame. I did eventually find (a very dead) Maude on the other size of the yard. So horrible. She’s now fertilising one of our citrus trees.

The weather has been so horrible that we’ve just been securing the run with some solid mesh and cable ties each morning and night. Sunny weather had us off to buy some timber on Saturday morning, only to find out that the store (Bunnings Tuggeranong, if anyone local is wondering) is expanding their DIY education program…Score!

We made an appointment and I turned up this morning with the broken door – and had help (and free use of power tools) putting it back together. It was great! An hour and a half later, the door was mended and fortified. I think it should be fox safe now. I hope.

My next chicken plans are to install an additional, mesh-topped run – Alex and his father started digging the ground for it today – and then to clad our current set up to make it a bit more weatherproof.

It was freezing, but we all enjoyed the time outside.