Protecting my Girls

[MaryN]

We've got a fox problem looming. It's that time of year when the wee devils are breeding and the urge for a nice fresh chicken or two becomes overwhelming. I have seen a couple of foxes running along the hedge at the top of the field, and I know it is only a matter of time before they try ramraiding my chicken run.

The run itself is fairly sturdy, made of fence posts and bars, covered in two layers of netting - one medium size and one small chicken wire. Experience has taught me that foxes will actually dig to get into a run if they have a mind to. Casting around trying to find something to brace the bottom of the run and keep it pinned down to the ground I came across the perfect solution. Tent pegs. I managed to buy a pack of long steel pegs that fitted perfectly over the bottom rung of the fence. Hammered into the ground at intervals around the run they pinned everything down firmly and provided a metal barrier to any digging paws. I must have done it right because I couldn't dig one up with the end of a crow bar. Success! (Fingers crossed).

[NorthernRaider]

My neighbour has chicken wire on the BOTTOM of his chook run and uses screw in tent pegs.

[Straight Shooter]

Know what you mean Mary.....they are crafty buggers....i once ...by pure chance searching for a metal coal bucket down the bottom shed ....came across two pieces of 4" x 1" timber slats...they had scorch makes on them ....as i pondered how this could have happened ...i took one piece and offered it up to the stove...then the other piece....perfect fit ....yeah they were handles used to move the stove....as i walked back towards the house ....i heard a fox say " Roger they have found harry".

[Tartar Horde]

(10 April 2016, 20:16)MaryN Wrote: We've got a fox problem looming. It's that time of year when the wee devils are breeding and the urge for a nice fresh chicken or two becomes overwhelming. I have seen a couple of foxes running along the hedge at the top of the field, and I know it is only a matter of time before they try ramraiding my chicken run.

The run itself is fairly sturdy, made of fence posts and bars, covered in two layers of netting - one medium size and one small chicken wire. Experience has taught me that foxes will actually dig to get into a run if they have a mind to. Casting around trying to find something to brace the bottom of the run and keep it pinned down to the ground I came across the perfect solution. Tent pegs. I managed to buy a pack of long steel pegs that fitted perfectly over the bottom rung of the fence. Hammered into the ground at intervals around the run they pinned everything down firmly and provided a metal barrier to any digging paws. I must have done it right because I couldn't dig one up with the end of a crow bar. Success! (Fingers crossed).

I feel your anguish Mary, unfortunately there are only two ways to solve this problem.
1 Make sure the Fox can't get in (this can be a lesson in frustration though)

2 Kill the Fox. Permanent solution (until the next Fox) but not everybodys cup of Tea.

[Steve]

Foxes hate electric fencing and being shot. They will dig all night if they need to.

I prefer the electric fence, because as soon as you shoot a fox another will come along to fill the territory and it becomes a regular job.

[NorthernRaider]

Waste of time effort, money and loss of a beautiful predator, kill the fox and another will move in very quickly, you have to fox proof your chook house. In our Parish Magazine there was an article by someone over Butterwick way who says the neighbouring property kept free range chooks and the owner fought a non stop war against foxes, killed loads others moved into the area. when the chook keeper moved away the neighbour noted that in a year the wild rabbit population declined massively, obviously the foxes stopped picking on Chicken Little and were after Brer Rabbit.

Back even further the vicar where we used to live fought a battle for years with RATS getting into the Vicarages Dovecotes kiling birds and stealing eggs, then an Urban fox moved in and the RAT population was decimated, so I think finding a natural balance coupled with stock chook defences is probably best because RATS are harder to keep away than Foxes and RATS bring diseases with them.

[Straight Shooter]

Not to far away a neighbour started keeping chooks...very pretty ones....he set up a nice hen house on wheels, and his young daughter took over...she used to let them run free on the lawn ....they set up an electric low voltage fence...the father spent a half hour explaining the advantage of FREE RANGE eggs.....you (ME) don't need a big run and pen them in....the lecy fence is all you need....oh aye i said.....about three weeks later all their chooks were gone.."i killed two he said with my air gun....when i caught them in the traps"......they no longer keep chooks.....If you are going to keep hens and have a nice run for them ....when you start to build the run , dig a trench where the posts are going, smack in the posts , run in the first straining wire about level in line with ground then another about a foot up , tie chicken wire to these two wires let the access wire go into the trench "to the outer " and fill in with some stone and dirt, put the rest of the strainer wires in , then stock fence, then chicken wire ...4 to 5 feet high.....where you have a gate ...the same applies under ground. ....you will never loose a hen....unless the fox has a helicopter....if so net the top over the run ....good protection for chicks from buzzards sparrow hawks.