My yard is a certified wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Years ago, after hurricane Andrew I saw birds and squirrels that had survived the storm. They were looking for food and shelter and the whole area looked bombed out and leafless. I made the decision to re-landscape with native plants. My love of plants has caused my yard to be a mix of exotic ornamental plants, both native and exotic palms, some fruit trees along with the native shrubs, trees and some grasses. The yard is heavily planted around the back and sides and a portion of the front, so there is very little lawn other than the swale and the center of the back yard. I regularly have butterflies, today there are six* different ones out there, and hummingbirds in the winter.
I have Purple Martin housing and feed and record Painted Buntings here in the winter. I allow some native grasses for the buntings to feed on also. There is a pond, which is more of a bog lately, due to a leaky liner. Opossums are regulars here at night, and home base out of here. Occasionally a raccoon passes through. I have neighbors who feed cats outdoors so this also attracts wildlife in the area. I always keep water dishes of various sizes and locations up high and on the ground. When it's dry I see the bees and other insects also getting a drink. I keep Bacillus Thuringiensis israelensis (Bti, Mosquito dunks) granules in the water which kills mosquito larvae in the water and is safe for birds and animals.
epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti
For several years there was a three toed turtle here, though I haven't seen her in some time. This turtle is native to the Southeastern states but not Florida. Their habitat is river bottoms, and other wet areas, they eat snails, among other things. She maybe left as she came, ducking under the fence, and then someone picked her up or kept her otherwise. Last I saw her was on New Year's Eve in 2015, when she showed up looking for water as it was very dry out.
So last spring, I had all these frogs here, croaking throughout the night, and filling any water they found with eggs. As I was leaving one morning for work I watched a fox entering the neighbor's yard through the gap in their gate. This continued for a few mornings, as I left for work the fox was coming in, I could see it was heading for the backyard, and probably my backyard. It was spring so I figured they had kits to feed. I had noticed when I let my cats out in the morning they were sniffing the air, so I knew something different had been in the yard.
The Cuban tree frog came in cargo many years ago and is spreading through Florida. It is an invasive species, it eats our native green tree frog, will clog your plumbing roof vents, and has knocked out power sub stations.
About a week ago, I was sitting at the dining table, and happened to look up and saw a fox trotting across the yard in front of my chicken coop. Not good. I jumped up and ran out, yelling at it, it ran around the back of the coop and looked at me. Luckily the hens were elsewhere in the yard and never knew their lives were in danger. It seems a fox has moved in to my yard. The neighbors where the foxes usually live, under their shed, cleared out their yard severely recently. I think since it hunts here, and probably eats cat food next door, it decided to stay. Since that evening, I saw the fox the next morning, and the next evening. The possum who home bases here lately is very put out over the fox being here, as it affects where the possum is going to spend the day. Both are nocturnal.
In the early morning around five a.m. when I get up the Cardinals tell me where things are in the morning, they chirp rapidly and follow whatever the threat is to them or their young. I have heard them follow a possum through the bushes until it exposed itself so I saw what the ruckus was about. One morning, the possum was headed diagonally across the yard to the shed, and the Cardinals were chirping along presumably over the fox making it's way through the bushes at the back of the lot. I learned this bird behavior out in the Big Cypress laying in my hammock watching a water moccasin pass by being followed overhead by some birds who did not want that snake in their vicinity.
The next morning it was quiet, but when I was pulling the truck out of the driveway, there was a fox across the street in the neighbor's front yard. This fox looked like a female that was nursing kits. In the above photo the fox is right under the street light.
The photo above is the fox in my yard, maybe 30 ft. from my back door. Our native foxes are gray foxes Urocyon cinereoargenteus, they are omnivores eating insects, fruits, and small game. The are good ratters and if there are rats around they will go after them. They are able to climb trees and will go into palm trees after rats. They weigh from 7 - 13 lbs. and the males are larger
and have bushier tails.
A sad note about the foxes, now that coyotes are here, they will kill foxes when the coyotes move into an area, as the fox are competition for small game. The same reason they kill cats and dogs. Canis latrans, the coyote is so far just along the coast. Last weekend I watched one cross the turnpike in front of me south of Homestead. They are in Everglades National Park, and in the natural areas going up the coast to Coral Gables, Matheson Hammock, etc. They hamstring the animal first and then when it can't run or walk anymore they kill it.
This is a male fox that was killed by coyotes. You can see the colors of the fox and full fluffy tail. White spots on shoulder are bite marks.
For some years I have kept hens for eggs. I usually have three or four, never more, and absolutely no roosters. To answer your question, no, you do not need a rooster for hens to lay eggs. Once they get old enough, and you feed them right they will produce eggs. I let my hens out into the yard in the evening to graze, eat bugs, and dust bathe under the bushes. Now with the fox possibly in the yard I have to keep an eye on them when they are loose.
Some time ago I had an ambitious young possum, about the size of a ten week old kitten, hanging around that I had to haul out of the chicken house several times, though not daily. As it seemed to have a learning curve I trapped it and released it into the hammock at work. A couple times it was in the house when the hens were going to go to roost. In this case the hens come to the patio to try to get my attention. They love to line up at the sliding glass door and look in.
On the chicken house I have a wonderful solar powered automatic chicken house door https://www.chickendoors.com/ it opens in the morning and closes in the evening at whatever times I set it at. Sometimes they go to bed and the door doesn't shut for a while due to the time setting. So they are on the roost, having come back in the pen from the backyard with both the pen gate is open and their house door open and the possum comes in. I have been lucky that I have shown up before the possum grabs anyone. I have had neighborhood cats also try to kill the hens or come in my yard and stalk them. My cats respond by loud piercing meows which catches my attention.
*Zebra longwing, Julia, Black Swallowtail, Giant Swallowtail, Sulfurs, & Gulf fritillary
