fox-proofing a city chicken run?

mistermogue

hi all,

i need to beef up the fox security in our garden after our 2 hens went missing a few weeks back. any help appreciated.

we live fairly central in dublin city but have a nice relatively spacious garden where our old hens were very happy until the visitor came... they roost in a hen tractor and ideally we want to be able to leave the doors open so the hens can let themselves out in the morning & generally live as free range as possible.

perimeter wise, 3 sides of the garden are pretty much covered: the house blocks access on 1 side, the back is an 8 foot high wall backing onto a laneway, and one side is adjacent to a school with razor wire running along the top of the wall.

the problem is the other end of the garden which is adjacent to a derilect/wild garden (great for wildlife, bad for hens....).

my 2 part plan is as follows:

1. i plan to build a 6ft high side gate out of 2x2 & chicken wire to block off access to side footpath. i assume a determined fox could climb this so would plan to put something on top of the gate to deter him.

2. apart from footpath access there is a higher wall which could definitely be climbed/jumped from the other side. does anyone know if something like this would keep a fox out?

any help appreciated here. don't really want to go the electric fence route although it seems to be the most reliable way of fox-proofing. anyone got any experience doing something similar?

cheers.

Interceptor

I bought a load of these site security panels (€18ea) and use them to make temporary runs which I move onto fresh grass every few months. They aren't very pretty but I haven't lost a hen and the foxes wander through every few days for a look.



'cptr

mistermogue

hey 'cptr, cheers for that.

nice idea, not really practical for my setup tho, got a much smaller space than yours and it's already 80% enclosed bar that last wall. good to know that the fox hasn't been able to climb those fences tho, it gives me hope for my setup... i'm thinking maybe some simple barbed wire run along the top might do the trick.

nice raised beds too btw!

MOSSAD

First I suggest you lay out the chicken wire at the base of the fence for 1 foot on the ground. This prevents the fox from digging under the fence. Also a small electric fence, on the outside, 1 foot above the ground, and maybe a line all around the top of the fenceline. Sounds like a gulag in the making , but should work.

mistermogue

cheers mossad,

the garden is walled on all sides, the only chicken wire gate that i'll be building will be on a concrete surface so unless the fox has a jackhammer this should be dig proof already.

it's trying to prevent him from getting over one side wall that's my main concern. i'm a little anxious about 'going electric' on top of the wall... do you know if foxes can negotiate barbed wire or would this do the trick?

thanks again.

MOSSAD

Depends on the spacing of the barbed wire. Looking at the spikes in the link, he might jump them, and not be able to get out and stilll kill your hens. If the walking ground he needs to stand on is spiked, it will possibly do the trick. Re the electric fence, it's not dangerous, just an intermittent dart of current. Reckon it comes down to how hungry he is.

pollyw00

You need to provide them with an enclosed roost at night where they can go inside and you can shut the door. They will rest happily from dusk onwards inside and you can let them out in the morning. They should be ok while you're there in full daylight as long as you put them away at dusk. They will often put themselves away once they get to know the new roost and all you need to do is shut the door. I would suggest a small shed or a dog kennel with a door. My dog kennel has a door with bars on it so they still get light in but have a dark area to nest in.

mistermogue

hey polly,

they've already got a home similar to this with doors that can be shut at night. their food, water, roost & bedding is all enclosed. the old pair used to put themselves to bed as soon as it started getting dark.

i guess my aim was to go a step further and make the wider area safe enough for them to come & go as they please. although there's about 6ft x 4ft of enclosed space (grass) for them within the hen tractor i'd prefer if there were able to let themselves out as soon as they rise (as opposed to waiting for me to let them out).

maybe it's too ambitious to be able to leave the roost open at night...

pollyw00

Definitely is not going to be possible to leave the door open with a fox around. Sounds like you can make it all work for you if you make sure they have a safely shut door at night / after dusk. They will like the security so don't think you are depriving them of anything.

recedite

Foxes can strike during the day too. The options are; a fully enclosed run including the roof, a guard dog that sleeps in an outdoor kennel, or an electric mesh fence. An electric fence is very easy to move.