We have always, always, always had hens, and only once (touch wood) have we ever had the whole lot cleared out by the fox, which was a totally horrendous experience. We have what we hope is a fox proof fence all the way round our delightful old fashioned roost (thanks to John and Sam's expertise!) allowing them all to enjoy a safe, free range lifestyle. We have recently rehomed a dozen hens from a battery farm, they are only just over a year old, but were deemed too old for commercial use. They arrived looking quite pale and with much less feathers than our old faithful hens who we have had for years and years and lay very few eggs between them. We introduced them to the coop at night time, and they all seem to get along fine. None of us can imagine life without a freshly laid egg - which I know sounds daft but is so true!