The Poultry Keeper

RobMad · Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 206 Location: Cornwall

This afternoon my mum spotted a fox in the neighboring field heading right for our garden and the fox just sat and stare then walked off before i could get home.

Then i went looking for the little critter and saw it still snooping around.

This is the first time in over a year of keeping chickens I've seen a fox. But would it be down to my cockerel crowing his beak off for the past month and attracting the fox attention?

Also any ideas on how to get rid of the bundle of joy? Evil or Very Mad

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7346 Location: isle of lewis

how are your hens protected,it's probably not your cockerals
fault ,foxes tend to be a fact of life if you live on the mainland,even if you don't have hens
we have no foxes here Very Happy

MagicBaz · Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Newcastle

I heard that foxes cant stand the smell of human urine
don't no if this is true but I'm always taking a leek in the corner of my allotment and I don't have any problems.
one guy on the allotments lost 6 hens last week to a fox. I guess he doesn't pee on his allotment.
The hens he lost where all Light Sussex. The fox didn't touch the black rock which where in the same coop.
(' Laughing

')
So moral of the story paint your hens black and pee on them lol.(' Very Happy

')

CP · Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:50 pm Post subject:

There is some truth to that, as most wild animals will steer clear of humans, but you shouldn't rely solely on it to keep them away.

We occasionally use urine (male urine is supposed to be best. Shocked

) as well as hanging up human hair in old stockings & having a radio on in the shed, but we also have good high fences as well.
Due to our particular setup it's not really possible to use electric fencing, but that would probably be the best deterrent against foxes.

A lot of foxes these days don't have the fear of humans that they used to & will openly visit even when people are nearby.

I hope you are able to keep your girls safe RobMad. Wink

RobMad · Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 206 Location: Cornwall

I hope so too. I'll have to put dark jumpers on my light sussex chickens though!!!

CrazyCluckingKaren · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Plymouth

Had a fox encounter last year, and the only chicken to survive was the light sussex,so I wouldn't rely on keeping black chickens. I think she must have been laying an egg and just kept her head down!

mojo · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject:

there is lots of info on here about foxes...........try a search and you will be amazed at the help you will find...good luck

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1433 Location: Leicestershire

I've got trouble at the moment, he has been coming in during the day, I've got a good man on the case and hopefully he will remove the troublesome ones (he thinks there are 4). It is said that a fox can smell chickens from over a mile away, so I don't think it's anything to do with the noise, they are opportunists and the best way to stop them is to prevent them getting in in the first place. Your local hunt may be able to help if you contact them (to shoot it not hunt it)

Itsybitsy

MagicBaz · Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Newcastle

Last night i found a hen hanging of the fence with no head and no insides it was hanging about 6 foot up the fence i havent a clue how its got there our whats got it

mojo · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:35 am Post subject:

weasel/stoats/mink/otter and foxes are just some of the predators our poor chooks face.....we must do our best to protect them but sometimes its so hard to beat the b****s

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1960 Location: Cheshire

We have a very bold fox, its a beautiful creature, wouldn't want any harm to come to it. I intend to have a completely wire covered coup (and floor). Should i be worried about them breaking in to the coup? Ive read (on eBay of all places) that foxes can pull chicken wire off cages because the round holes are easy for them to get their teeth around..basically what I'm asking is... if the wiring is small square galvanized mesh do foxes pose a problem at all?

skye girl · Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 638 Location: Isle of skye

a Friend up the road from me put their fencing 12 inch into the ground, netting over the top but did not close the coop up in summer because of the real long days, it can be 12.30 to 1 am before some of mine go to bed in summer Rolling Eyes

anyway the fox still went under the fence and killed their flock of 12, so 12 inch under ground is not enough to keep them out

(it is since they have taken the toll of the bridge they can just trot across freely now from the mainland)

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1433 Location: Leicestershire

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1960 Location: Cheshire