Fox spotted this morning

[Titania207]

I live in Maine and back up onto some thick woods. I have had my hens for a year and this morning, for the first time, saw -- just by chance looking out the window -- a fox creeping toward my run. I screamed bloody murder and it took off but my question is should my run have a roof on it? It is 6 feet tall and has wire dropped about a foot but I know they are good climbers. Also I assume it will be back now it knows the hens are here. (I have austrolorps too and they make a lot of noise.) I usually let them out in the afternoon but I won't be doing that for a while. I have two small and mid-sized dogs but they aren't great at patroling. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Captain13]

A healthy fox can jump 6 feet high. If you don’t want to add a roof, cover the top with hardware cloth or at least 2x3 welded wire. The fox will come back now that he knows the chickens are there.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have seen a fox jump a 6' fence with zero running start and what looked like no effort at all.

I recommend a roof or wire over top too.

 

[Titania207]

Thanks for the replies. I am about as handy as a potted plant but I am going to be putting welded wire over the top (god help me) this long weekend - because nothing is going to hurt my girls!

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

We lost a couple hens to a fox while they were free ranging, and now we have a canvas roof that fits over our enclosure.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thanks for the replies. I am about as handy as a potted plant but I am going to be putting welded wire over the top (god help me) this long weekend - because nothing is going to hurt my girls!

If you post pics there are many on here willing to talk you through anchoring and the support structure needed.

 

[Titania207]

Thanks 21hens-incharge, appreciate the offer. I have some photos here of the coop. I havent measured it but it is pretty large so I dont know if I would need something in the middle to hold up the 1/2 inch hardware wire? Also not sure how to make it go over or around the coop or somehow line up to the roof.

 

[Titania207]

We lost a couple hens to a fox while they were free ranging, and now we have a canvas roof that fits over our enclosure.

Just wondering - how do you manage the canvas with snow? just clear it off regularly?

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Just wondering - how do you manage the canvas with snow? just clear it off regularly?

Yeah pretty much, it has weep holes, but if there's any heavy accumulation, it will start to sag, so we just bop it with a broom from underneath and that seems to knock it off. We also haven't been getting much snowfall these past couple years though either, so idk what it might be like if there were more. There's built-in crossbeams though for support, like it came with an actual roof frame, too.

 

[Titania207]

Just following up - the fox did return today in the middle of the day! So much for them being noctural. I heard the hens sqwuaking and shouted out the window and he fled. I have a contractor who will put the top on but not soon enough. I will have to close them up in their little house when I am not here. We have dogs too and still the fox returned.