Help! Fox...staring at my chickens !! Hot wire, hardware cloth apron or ?

[linguini]

Two days ago, in broad day light, I saw a big, fat, red fox staring at our chickens from outside of the extended run fence. I ran out of the house, screaming at the fox, it ran away into the woods.

I've been keeping the chickens in their predator proof small run since. Spent two days reading articles and posts about fox and fence in BYC forum, I am still at a loss on what best to do. Please help! Any advice/suggestions appreciated.

Facts:
- we know the fox is around, but never seen it got so close
- the extended run is flimsily fenced in, with chicken wire (2") over deer net, and covered with birdnet
- chickens are locked in a small run, predator proof, nightly

Question:
- will a fox dig or rip the chicken wire in broad day light? how fast can they dig?
- is there any alarm system that will scare the fox when they touch the fence?
- will hot wire the entire extended yard keep the fox out? Is it safe for human?
if so, what height? how many strands? what to do with the gate?
- or should we make a hardware cloth apron around the base of the entire extended fun?

Hot wire seems easier to do (we are wimpy, not good with construction), but we are worried about safety to humans - we work around the garden all the time, neighbors' kids like to come and watch the chickens. I am also worried about safety of our lawn care crew.

Hardware cloth apron is a lot of work, the yard is about 35x50. I am still not recovered from the tennis elbow caused by pounding ground staples of the apron of the small run 18 months ago! But if that's the only way we can keep the chickens safe, we'll do it.

Thank you all in advance!

Below is a picture of the yard. The cubical structure and coop in the center are predator proof.
The fox was standing by the fence on the right edge of the photo (outside the photo).

 

[neo71665]

A hungry animal will hunt day or night, doesn't matter what animal. If you seen the fox and he hasn't attacked yet he is just sizing things up. The only thing chicken wire is good for is keeping the chickens hemmed up for an easier kill. All predators get real hungry in the winter and it makes them braver than normal. If you seen a fox I promise ya you have more than just that scoping the place out. That chicken wire, deer wire, or bird netting won't keep much of anything 4 legged out. All 3 piled up might cause a slight inconvenience but aint gonna stop a possum, coon, fox, wild dog, bobcat, or anything like that.


Frankly you need to add hardware cloth to the run and an apron if you want to keep predators out. Without an apron an electric fence won't be any good, they will just dig right under.

 

[chickengr]

do you have a dog?

I would keep chickens in a predator proof run. your big run does not look safe. foxes are smart and fast. chicken wire is not predator proof.

 

[-Flash-]

Dogs keep foxes away. Or so I've found.

 

[RoyalChick]

If you can afford to do so I would go with an electric netting fence. They have posts already attached which you step into the ground (they have spikes). The only issue I see is that the ground is frozen right now.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I'd start with a hotwire around the small run and coop. It's really not hard to install and probably the easiest to do in winter. I'd start about 3" up from the ground and add another line about 3" from that. Some suggest a third row. I haven't had to go past two.
Once the ground thaws, the electric fence might be an option. But, remember that given the chance, a fox can jump right over it.
@cmom has good posts about running electric around a huge open run.

 

[linguini]

do you have a dog?

I would keep chickens in a predator proof run. your big run does not look safe. foxes are smart and fast. chicken wire is not predator proof.

No dog, no rooster.
The big run was only intended to keep the deer out, chicken in, and hawks out during the day. Didn't think the fox will come in broad day light! It was a scary sight.

 

[Chicks in VA]

if he is pretty hungry, he will dig under a hot wire in a mater of five minutes if he does not get shocked if he gets shocked he will probably give the fence its distance .
its a fox and it is a pro jumper so the fence would need to be tall.
foxes are a pian in the a**
im sorry you live in a neighborhood because where i live we shoot and ask question later

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Will try to convince my husband to install hotwire first. He is afraid of shocking human.

Is a welded wire fence like this ok?

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-welded-wire-72-in-x-100-ft?cm_vc=-10005

and an apron with hardware cloth mesh? is 18" inch above ground, 18" on the ground enough?

It can feel like a zap, but it's not unbearable. Just undesirable.
If you are going install hardware cloth, go with 1/2" or less you will make it a more secure run.

 

[BDutch]

Picture this to protect you’re chickens against foxes and other small wildlife (Western Europe. )
https://www.natuurpunt.be/pagina/bescherm-je-kippen-tegen-de-vos

Tips from Belgium:

• Stretch a sturdy iron mesh on the outside of the posts

- 1.45mm thick​

- mesh size max. 3 x 3 cm​

• Make your fence at least 180 cm high so that the fox cannot jump over it.
• Fold the top 40 cm outwards at an angle of 30° or
• Equipped with two electric fences on the outside: at the bottom at a height of 20 cm and at the top at 160 cm or
• Span the entire run with a strong net or (even better) with the same mesh as the fence
• Place a row of heavy tiles at least 40 cm wide on the outside of the run so that the fox cannot dig under the wire or
• Dig the mesh 50 cm deep at an angle of 45° outwards or straight into the ground.

Other tips

• Light up the part where your chickens stay
• Keep a dog in your yard (fox is very afraid of dogs)
• If you don't want a pen or run, you can also release your animals completely so that they have more escape options.