Fox safe wire choices

[EmmaEsme]

Hi all,
We live in a semi rural area in Melbourne Australia. Introduced foxes can be a problem here. The house we bought this year has a large pre-built and enclosed garden space and chicken coop/run. (Previous owner made it.)The entire property is rabbit proof fences on the boundaries.

The garden, coop and smaller roofed run have a (with callipers) 1.6mm (16 gauge) heavy chicken wire mesh on about 1 meter (3.2 ft) of the lower half of them, with typical flimsy chicken wire for a meter up to the top and on the roof. I just realised one area is colourbond steel panels a little less than half way up and only cheap wire the rest.

Do you consider that satisfactory to keep out foxes? There's a lot of various info in what a fox can't really chew through... 1.4 mm (17 gauge), or 1.4 mm is only fox resistant, some recommended no less than 2mm (14 gauge).

We're planning to do a 2m (6 ft) high, roof-enclosed fenced area, with 2mm thick stainless steel welded mesh on metal framing for free ranging to protect from foxes and birds of prey. Atm, it's just flimsy plastic mesh on tall garden stakes for that space...

Is this 1.6mm heavy chicken wire actually going to stop determined foxes? Or should we replace that too? Thanks!

 

[The WinterWolf]

not sure how to help, but good luck!

 

[aart]

Is this 1.6mm heavy chicken wire actually going to stop determined foxes? Or should we replace that too?

They'd have to be pretty hungry to chew thru 16ga and have good leverage to do so.
They'd be more likely to dig under than try to go thru the mesh.
That's a great pic showing the 2 diff chicken wires, that gap would worry me more than the wire gauge.

Kudos on your measurements, very helpful....and adding your location to your profile.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

I use hardwire cloth and the corrugated roofing material you seem to have but mine is cemented in the ground and skirted to prevent/discourage predators from digging under.

I got the top closed as well.

We have a lot of predators and I lost two baby birds to a snake that got in anyway but have not had problems with a fox getting through so far (9 years).

 

[EmmaEsme]

Fantastic, thank you! Might have to do some literal digging and see if that wire go es down I to the ground, or if it an find an apron.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I was having problems with raccoons and foxes. Fox can dig and raccoons can chew threw some pretty thick poultry wire. I put up an electric fence close to the ground and no more predators.

 

[linguini]

I was having problems with raccoons and foxes. Fox can dig and raccoons can chew threw some pretty thick poultry wire. I put up an electric fence close to the ground and no more predators.

Just wondering if you can share how you set up your electric fence? Thanks!

 

[Apis mellifera]

This is it.

 

[linguini]

This is it.

Hope you don't mind some more questions:

- how long is your fence?
- how many grounding rods?
- how long are your rods?
- how deep into the ground did you put the rod in?
- what energizer did you use?


Our fence perimeter is 160 ft, and we'd like to put in 2 strands at least.

Many thanks!

 

[Apis mellifera]

Hope you don't mind some more questions:

- how long is your fence?
- how many grounding rods?
- how long are your rods?
- how deep into the ground did you put the rod in?
- what energizer did you use?


Our fence perimeter is 160 ft, and we'd like to put in 2 strands at least.

Many thanks!

I purchased my charger and ground rod kit from Redstone Supply. https://www.redstonesupply.com/

They can assist you on which energizer you need. I have a plugin because I have an outlet near my coop. But they have any combination of energizers you could want, solar, battery, plugin and multipowered. The ground rod kit I have comes with 3- 6' galvanized rods and all the hardware/instructions you need for the ground side. The energizer I got is oversized for what I need for now, but I plan on extending it underground to some beehives.