If you’ve ever had ducks or chickens, you know you’re not just a backyard farmer—you’re a full-time security guard. Around here, the hawks patrol the skies like feathery drones with talons, just waiting for the perfect moment to swoop in. My poor Dominique chickens can’t enjoy a dust bath in peace without looking over their shoulders (er, wings). And my Ancona ducks? Blissfully unaware, waddling around like shiny appetizers on webbed feet.
But the sky isn’t the only danger zone. The foxes in these parts are basically escape room champions, always testing the limits of my fencing. They slink in at dusk, stealthy as shadows, hoping to dig just far enough to make it under the run. I’ve lost sleep imagining one squeezing through a weak spot—because once a fox finds a way in, it doesn’t forget. Ever. Those clever little bandits have turned chicken-keeping into a game of constant reinforcement.
That’s why my coop and run are locked down like Fort Knox—with hardware cloth buried around the perimeter, a solid roof overhead, and motion sensor lights for good measure. It might seem like overkill, but when you’re raising heritage breeds like Dominique chickens and Ancona ducks, protecting them means everything. Besides, they’re more than just livestock—they’re family. And no hawk or fox is getting past this farmer without a fight
