Fox problem

[gommy1uk]

can any one please help
I have been visited by foxes again tonight, the wire around my chicken run is 6 ft tall with 3 strands of barbed wire running around the top of the wire making it 7 ft tall over all. but they still keep jumping the wire, this time they killed 22 of my chickens, only leaving me with 2
Can anyone tell me ways I can protect them other than getting in the local game keeper.
Please help as I’m at my wits ends

 

[007Sean]

Howdy Happy to have you join the family. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
Try putting 1" welded wire over the top of your enclosure. Yeah, it's expensive but you won't be losing your birds.

 

[gommy1uk]

can any one please help
I have been visited by foxes again tonight, the wire around my chicken run is 6 ft tall with 3 strands of barbed wire running around the top of the wire making it 7 ft tall over all. but they still keep jumping the wire, my chicken run 80 ft long by 60 ft wide, this time they killed 22 of my chickens, only leaving me with 2
Can anyone tell me ways I can protect them other than getting in the local game keeper.
Please help as I’m at my wits ends

 

[gommy1uk]

Howdy Happy to have you join the family. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
Try putting 1" welded wire over the top of your enclosure. Yeah, it's expensive but you won't be losing your birds.

The problem is the chicken run is 80 ft long and 60 ft wide

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC. For additional advice, I'd suggest posting here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/predators-and-pests.13/

 

[007Sean]

The problem is the chicken run is 80 ft long and 60 ft wide

That's kinda what I figured, it's why I said; "expensive"! You could use netting but it's not worth the material it's made of for keeping predators out.

 

[canalcolt]

can any one please help
I have been visited by foxes again tonight, the wire around my chicken run is 6 ft tall with 3 strands of barbed wire running around the top of the wire making it 7 ft tall over all. but they still keep jumping the wire, this time they killed 22 of my chickens, only leaving me with 2
Can anyone tell me ways I can protect them other than getting in the local game keeper.
Please help as I’m at my wits ends

I had a fox problem and fixed it [for now]. I own a 22 rifle. Last year we had a huge raccoon problem.. they were digging and breaking into the coop and we finally bought a rifle (even a trap) and it fixed the problem. We had a fox attack our rooster Early in the morning months ago. We set up a baby monitor and I cracked a window in my office which faces the chicken coop and placed baby monitor there (since it's cold out I put things in the crack of the window to stop draft and have a thermal curtain. We set up outside lights to shine on the run and areas around it. We found the chickens going crazy 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning . U can hear them going nuts in the baby monitor. Finally I saw the fox come out of the forest and approach the run. I shot it and haven't had a problem since. That was 2 months ago. Everyone has been sleeping good since then. They will keep coming back like any other animal until there's nothing left or so that's my experience.

 

[AllenK RGV]

@canalcolt arrived at the solution I would pick. I have yet to lose a bird to a fox but man in Germany I lost so much sleep to them. That or 200 pounds of dog meat would protect your flock as it does for us against the coyotes. I am so sorry to hear about your losses. One final option is my wife swears on Donkeys being good against predators but they aren't something I am personally familiar with.

 

[theoldchick]

Improve the coop and use electric wire. Welcome to BYC!

 

[AllenK RGV]

Improve the coop and use electric wire. Welcome to BYC!

My personal hate hate relationship with foxes says this is entirely too humane. That being said it is the most economical approach.