Advice needed to fox proof chicken run

jodie3

jodie3

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As title really, bl@@dy fox has been back today in broad daylight and taken 5 of my rescue hens.

If you use electric fencing which strand/s do you electrify or do you use poultry netting?

Any ideas on how to keep the foxes out greatfully received!
 
I used poultry fencing connected to a mains charger for a number of years. I used additional plastic fence posts to keep it upright and taut. A few weeks ago when it was very windy a couple of the posts started to lean (I din't notice this) and the b*****s fox must have jumped over it and killed three of my chickens. I moved the remaining chickens into an empty stable and saw the s*****g fox come back at dusk for the next couple of nights to where they used to be.

I think if I had noticed that those posts were leaning the fox wouldn't have got over it.
 
I understand your frustration. We keep a few hens in our back garden and its so hard to keep the fox out, my hens have always been taken during the day. We ended up covering their pen with chicken wire over the top of it. But you have to make sure that there are no gaps in it at all as they will get in even the smallest hole (I found that out the hard way!) is it possible to put netting over the top of it or is their pen too big for that? I don't know that electric fencing is much of a deterrent to a hungry fox as they will usually find a way through it but it isn't something I have personally tried.
 
Daughter uses builders Heras panels. Not totally fox-proof but the best solution she has found. You can often buy slightly damaged ones on ebay for about £4 each.
 
Are Heras panels like the ones they use for round pens?

(Scuttles off to ebay for a look)

I think I probably am going to have to totally enclose the run - just such a shame as I love seeing them round the garden.

At least fox took them this time, last time just left the bodies behind.

Thanks for replies.
 
We dug the fence into the earth, with boards so they couldn't dig under, and also hardcore either side to prevent digging. Two years on, with no fox attacks, we were quite impressed.

Last week a stoat managed to get in, kill one, injure another and was just attacking a third when I brought the horses in and shouted at it, scaring it away. It ran under a 2" gap underneath the gate. So our rescue hens are now shut in a stable and not very impressed - after two years wandering about a huge pen they are not enjoying life being shut up again.

Any ideas how to stoat proof a run? They're so tiny they squidge under anything.:mad: Was thinking about rescuing a Jack Russell to put in the run with them!!
 
Having lost both my hens and ducks 12 in all, while working nightshift, I feel your pain, the builders fencing is a good idea but use fruit netting over the top, foxes are determined little suckers, they climb and dig underneath.
I believe the recomendation is bury the wire at least 6ins below ground.
I now seem to live in a fox free zone, my flock of 8 come and go as they please, anyone want a gorgeous Buff Orpinton Cockeral, bought when sex was unknown
 
We used to keep our hens totally loose to dig around the yard; but after one visit too many from the fox, that was it, they're now in an enclosed run.

We employed a professional: who basically took the panels of chicken wire for the fence and stapled it into the ground for at least a foot and then stamped it down with hardcore and earth.

We also put up an electric fence-wire about six inches from the ground - we use just an ordinary fencer and always make sure its turned on.

Also....... apparently foxes will keep away from human pee plus dogs poo and pee; so, erm, you know what to do!!
 
I'm pretty certain a stoat had a go at one of mine the other evening - we had a bit of a drama on the farm so I was a bit late shutting them in and one of my Light Sussex girls was missing. I have a very opinionated ex battery hen who would really like to live in the house so we compromise and she sleeps in a dog cage inside the back door (and comes in the house to share your lunch and terrorises the spotty dogs but that's another story!) - went to shut her in and the missing hen was in there with her but with a wound on her neck. The lady who lived here before me said she had a problem with stoats and her chooks.

No idea how you keep them out - solid walls?

Those builders panels look promising, could you dig them in so there is no gap underneath or are they too heavy?
 
I had heard about foxes not liking human pee but thought it had to be male pee and sadly I have no man to pee for me!!!!! I do encourage my young Grandson to wee in the garden though!

Not convinced on the dog wee/poo though as I have three dogs who have the run of the entire garden and the fox just keeps coming back.
 
Honey08 said:
Yeah, I know! I should shut the two labs in with them, they're not remotely into hens but would scoff all their corn!
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LOL, my 2 GSD's were the same, loved visiting the chicken run, for what they could scrounge.
Builders panels are good, but they won't keep out stoats, can't think of anything that would to be honest, could you not put rat traps out where the hens can't get to, squirrels are the main problem here, worse than rats and stoats put together
 
jodie3 said:
I'm pretty certain a stoat had a go at one of mine the other evening - we had a bit of a drama on the farm so I was a bit late shutting them in and one of my Light Sussex girls was missing.

- went to shut her in and the missing hen was in there with her but with a wound on her neck. The lady who lived here before me said she had a problem with stoats and her chooks.



Those builders panels look promising, could you dig them in so there is no gap underneath or are they too heavy?
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Thats exactly how I found one of my hens the day before I lost one and then caught the stoat in the act of going for another...

The issue we have with the gap under the gates is its on a slope, so wouldn't open...

I think we may have to electrify the area around the gaps perhaps. Its so annoying. Everything was going so well!!
 
The trouble is a stoat is so small and quick!

I was told they bite their necks and suck the blood out - don't know if that is true or not. Surely a stoat wouldn't be able to take a body away? Now a mink would....................

I was talking to a friend who now lives in France and she says where she lives there are no foxes so she doesn't have to worry about her hens - sounds good to me!
 
The body was totally missing, just feathers everywhere. Hubby and I are unagreed as to what it was. He and my dad reckon it was a fox that jumped in and out again, but I think it was too much of a coincidence that I saw a stoat attacking another hen later the same day. I THINK it was a stoat - it was about 30metres away and shot off as soon as it saw me. It was a palomino colour..

Sorry Op, I'm taking over the question about foxes.
 
Just a thought, since dogs are a real deterrant to foxes, could you not put a dog run around around your chicken run, even on a temporary basis, with the colder weather, all wildlife are looking for extra food and a fox will keep coming back as will stoats till there's nothing left for them, even if the dog was left during the day, there would be scents left, making foxes wary
 
Honey08 said:
The body was totally missing, just feathers everywhere. Hubby and I are unagreed as to what it was. He and my dad reckon it was a fox that jumped in and out again, but I think it was too much of a coincidence that I saw a stoat attacking another hen later the same day. I THINK it was a stoat - it was about 30metres away and shot off as soon as it saw me. It was a palomino colour..

Sorry Op, I'm taking over the question about foxes.
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Going on the colour, it sounds more like a ferret, a stoat is reddish brown with a paler belly, given your predator I would use traps, stoats, ferrets and mink all kill for fun
 
Dunno, seemed too small to be a ferret or weasel. Hubby has spent hours tarting up the fence in the run, but I'm nervous to put them back in.

Hubby has a client who is a gamekeeper, so we are waiting for him to pop round and advise us. In the meantime the hens are safe, but bored in the spare stable, only coming out for a free-range inthe afternoon when I'm doing evening stables - just enough time to trash the muckheap for me!
 
All summer I've left the back door open so Precious the English Bull Terrier can wander in and out and hopefully act as a deterrent - although she is soft as butter and would probably befriend the fox and invite it in! (Dalmatians have to be contained indoors or they escape houdini style to come and find me) But now the weather is colder my cottage is so cold I can't keep the door open and Prec says she would need a thermal dog coat if she has to be on fox patrol outside.

Joking aside, what's so annoying is because I live and work on the farm I often pop in at odd times during the day so the wretched fox must just be watching all the time as I have never actually seen him in the garden but certainly smelt him and found his poo.
 
I think weasels are tiny, stoats are a bit bigger and usually a chestnutty colour with white underparts. I actually have ferrets in a run in the garden but none have escaped so can't blame them. Mink are ferret sized but much more evil.
 
I just googled it, and think it could have been a stoat with a winter coat perhaps?

Whatever it was, it was a vicious little git! Even more annoyingly, I think it lives under the portable stable on the yard that we keep straw in. Last year we were over run with rabbits, and I think that kept it busy. This year the rabbits haven't come back, so its looking for something new..
 
Oh dear, that is annoying if you think it is a resident stoat as its just going to keep coming back and probably bring its family with it!

If its finished off the rabbits perhaps if you can keep your hens in and safe for a while it might move off to a more plentiful hunting ground?
 
I've had problems with foxes and a critter called a Fouine (stone Marten) here in France. I've lost all my chickens (only had 8) I now have big ducks and geese and have special poultry electric fencing around the run. I still had a persistent fox who got in and took a duck; and almost got another one. One of my neighbours helped out in the end with a trap, he caught the fox and shot it. The Fouines I caught in a humane trap, it would be the same with stoats
 
Tiggy1 said:
Love it!! My JRT hasn't killed a hen for 12 months but shouldn't speak too soon!!
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Jack Russells are smashing dogs, but when we had our livery yard, a liveries JR got into our apparently secure chicken run and severely hurt two of my hens, Auntie Banty, my light sussex bantem broody died in my arms, another had a trip to the vets, was so badly torn she was pts, not the dogs fault, it was just being a dog and it showed the faults in my run, but the loss of Aunty Banty hit hard, my GSD bitch was always leashed until the chooks had said hello and settled down, then was allowed to go free, I'm not saying all dogs are bad, but some do what they are bred to do
 
I breed chickens and cannot be bothered to go round shutting goodness knows how many coop doors so my birds are all kept in runs most of which are full height with proper sized mesh doors, roofed and also sat on a bed of mesh

A fox can bite through chicken wire and netting, weldmesh of 19g or stronger (the lower the number the stronger it is) is best

Keeping them in runs is a shame but I get no problems with rats in the run, no wild birds nicking food, no sodden wet runs, no fighting between cockerels and best of all I am not tied to letting them out and shutting them in
 
Re- read that - I sound really lazy but with about thirty separate runs/coops/sheds it all takes loads of time, there are over a hundred feeders and drinkers to fill daily too.....
 
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