The Poultry Keeper The Independent Forum for Poultry Keepers    FAQ   Search     Register   Log in  foxes Goto page 1, 2  Next          The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Pests and Predators Author Message Gourami Joined: 21 Sep 2008 Posts: 53 Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:46 pm    Post subject: foxes I have a 6ft fences around my town garden and the only entrance is a gate that has a concrete floor. most boundaries are with other gardens and most of them have similar size fencing, there is a footpath on one side that has a 6ft 6 concrete fence. Is this likely to be enough to keep foxes out? the reason I ask is that at the moment my girls are housed in an ark bought on ebay, not ideal. The run is open at the bottom so the chickens walk on the grass when they are down. the roosting/nesting accommodation is above the run and the floor of that comes out for cleaning. I just don't think a determined fox would take long to get into it and am unsure how to remedy this. Back to top NobbyNobbs Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 69 Location: Nr Chichester, West Sussex Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:28 am    Post subject: the eglu foxproof system seems to be a flat-plate of wire mesh surrounding the run. this looks like it could be very easy to recreate on any other run. when the eglu arrived we just clipped the sections of plate on so i dont see how it would be any different to anything you fixed to the bottom of the ark. we then peg the plate down so that it cant be lifted. i'm not entirely sure this would stop a very very determined fox but they claim it will so fingers crossed. you can see it in the pic below - (sorry its big it refuses to acknowledge its been resized for some reason Back to top Kitsune Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1410 Location: Manchester Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:30 am    Post subject: the skirt method is a good one, the fox tries to dig at the obstruction (run) and can't, they don't have the mental capacity to go back a foot or so and dig there. If part of it is lifted though they will see it and get their nose under so it needs to be pegged down well! We used the same philosophy on a bigger scale to keep wolves in their pens. Back to top MamaPacker Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 322 Location: Essex UK - Sarfend Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:32 pm    Post subject: we had a paving slab skirt round our duck house and a nasty foxy got in and murdered my poor duck..... I wouldn't trust any hungry female carnivore with babies around animals... when they smell food they do anything. Back to top Isotope Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 53 Location: Bedfordshire Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:39 pm    Post subject: I have another foxes question. I've had chickens barely 24 hours and already I can see that some of the wire on the run has been pulled away from the frame. I'm guessing a fox is the likeliest culprit? Can anyone recommend a way to reinforce the run? I'm guessing I need to do something ASAP now the fox knows the chickens are there Any advice much appreciated! Back to top Elly Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 356 Location: Norfolk Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:30 pm    Post subject: Isotope wrote: I have another foxes question. I've had chickens barely 24 hours and already I can see that some of the wire on the run has been pulled away from the frame. I'm guessing a fox is the likeliest culprit? Can anyone recommend a way to reinforce the run? I'm guessing I need to do something ASAP now the fox knows the chickens are there Any advice much appreciated! Could be rats Is you coop/run done with weldmesh or chicken wire? If chicken wire I would get weldmesh and put it over the chicken wire. Also put over any of the coop wood that is on the 'outside'. Use weldmesh for a 12 inch skirt all the way round the outside, pegging it down with long tent pegs Thats pretty much how our coops are set up and we have had no loses yet, despite being surrounded by fields The free run our chickens have has lots of bushes/trees in and we only allow them out when someone is home(they have good sized covered runs attatched to coops). Dont think you can ever be 100% safe without going completely mad, but a few extra measures can only help Keep smilin Elly Back to top Isotope Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 53 Location: Bedfordshire Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:48 pm    Post subject: Elly wrote: Could be rats The ones I've seen around here are big, but not that big Although, I've had a few ferrets in my time that might've had the strength to pull that mesh... Elly wrote: Is you coop/run done with weldmesh or chicken wire? It's not chicken wire, it's a thick black mesh (is that weldmesh?) and this itself remained intact, but it was bent just enough to pull it out from inside the frame where it is sandwiched. My OH has returned home and made the suggestion of placing some extra batons either side of the larger sections of mesh. Hopefully this'll make it more secure because I've been feeling quite worried The skirt thing won't work because we decided to put the coop onto slabs because we thought that'd be safer. Maybe not! We also have fields up the back of our house and a small copse. I'm guessing this might be the sort of place that foxes like to hang out. P'raps chickens weren't such a good idea. Many thanks for the quick response! Back to top Kitsune Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1410 Location: Manchester Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:29 pm    Post subject: MamaPacker wrote: we had a paving slab skirt round our duck house and a nasty foxy got in and murdered my poor duck..... I wouldn't trust any hungry female carnivore with babies around animals... when they smell food they do anything. paving slabs don't work too well as a skirt because the slabs are too obvious, with a skirt of wire the grass grows through it and it looks less like a barrier. I don't think I'm explaining it very well though... Back to top MaisytheDobe Joined: 08 Dec 2007 Posts: 79 Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:19 pm    Post subject: Kitsune wrote: MamaPacker wrote: we had a paving slab skirt round our duck house and a nasty foxy got in and murdered my poor duck..... I wouldn't trust any hungry female carnivore with babies around animals... when they smell food they do anything. paving slabs don't work too well as a skirt because the slabs are too obvious, with a skirt of wire the grass grows through it and it looks less like a barrier. I don't think I'm explaining it very well though... Oh dear the paving slab skirt was what I was going to go for, boyfriend said weldmesh pinned down so grass would go through, such a pity as I've got the paving slabs. Would two deep paving slabs work? Back to top Elly Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 356 Location: Norfolk Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:53 am    Post subject: MaisytheDobe wrote: Kitsune wrote: MamaPacker wrote: we had a paving slab skirt round our duck house and a nasty foxy got in and murdered my poor duck..... I wouldn't trust any hungry female carnivore with babies around animals... when they smell food they do anything. paving slabs don't work too well as a skirt because the slabs are too obvious, with a skirt of wire the grass grows through it and it looks less like a barrier. I don't think I'm explaining it very well though... Oh dear the paving slab skirt was what I was going to go for, boyfriend said weldmesh pinned down so grass would go through, such a pity as I've got the paving slabs. Would two deep paving slabs work? How about both Our coop is on slabs and we have a weldmesh skirt coming out from the coop, over the slabs and onto the grass. It is tent pegged down and now covered in grass Best of both Keep smilin Elly Back to top MamaPacker Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 322 Location: Essex UK - Sarfend Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:27 am    Post subject: MaisytheDobe wrote: Kitsune wrote: MamaPacker wrote: we had a paving slab skirt round our duck house and a nasty foxy got in and murdered my poor duck..... I wouldn't trust any hungry female carnivore with babies around animals... when they smell food they do anything. paving slabs don't work too well as a skirt because the slabs are too obvious, with a skirt of wire the grass grows through it and it looks less like a barrier. I don't think I'm explaining it very well though... Oh dear the paving slab skirt was what I was going to go for, boyfriend said weldmesh pinned down so grass would go through, such a pity as I've got the paving slabs. Would two deep paving slabs work? How about sinking the mesh into the grass and then suing the slabs? Or both like Elly said? Back to top Kitsune Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1410 Location: Manchester Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:14 pm    Post subject: MaisytheDobe wrote: Kitsune wrote: MamaPacker wrote: we had a paving slab skirt round our duck house and a nasty foxy got in and murdered my poor duck..... I wouldn't trust any hungry female carnivore with babies around animals... when they smell food they do anything. paving slabs don't work too well as a skirt because the slabs are too obvious, with a skirt of wire the grass grows through it and it looks less like a barrier. I don't think I'm explaining it very well though... Oh dear the paving slab skirt was what I was going to go for, boyfriend said weldmesh pinned down so grass would go through, such a pity as I've got the paving slabs. Would two deep paving slabs work? if you are using paving slabs as a skirt the fox will dig where the paving slab and grass meet, they are clever enough to know they can't dig through concrete - if you have wire extending past the paving slab over the grass then the fox will try to dig at the grass and will get stopped by the wire just as if it were at the side of the coop, so that would in theory work. Back to top MaisytheDobe Joined: 08 Dec 2007 Posts: 79 Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:38 pm    Post subject: Think what I'll do it is put the mesh down then the slabs, and then mesh straight up to the raised beds and the fence. Not that I'm paranoid about foxes of anything Back to top MamaPacker Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 322 Location: Essex UK - Sarfend Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:53 pm    Post subject: A moat A moat !! Back to top MaisytheDobe Joined: 08 Dec 2007 Posts: 79 Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:06 am    Post subject: MamaPacker wrote: A moat A moat !! I did think about, it but I've been told foxes can swim Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Pests and Predators All times are GMT + 1 Hour Goto page 1, 2  Next Page 1 of 2 Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group