Help predator proofing my fence

[Tuftul]

Hello, a few days ago I caught a fox looking at my birds right at the fence about an hour before getting dark. We have a predator proof coop for them at night, but they free range inside the chain link fence during the day. Now they have been bound to the coop until we figure something out (which makes me feel bad).

I think the only solution is to run an electric fence. I would rather not make the fence itself hot, but only if that's a last resort. The problem I face is 2 sides literally back up the the woods. Would we be battling limbs and debris if we put hot wires
outside of the fence?

Another option that could work is extending the height of the fence and running hot wires there? Has anyone come up with solutions to this? I'm pretty open to possibilities at this point. Very nervous for my crew.

Last 2 images are my thought process. Would it be better just to make the whole fence hot? And then will it hurt the birds? And will it be tall enough?

Thanks for any insight!

 

[cavemanrich]

You cant just make the WHOLE FENCE HOT, as you have it. In order for a fence to be electrified, it need to be isolated electrically from the ground. When an animal is standing on the ground, and touches it, it gets the shock. As you have it currently the fence current, would be shorting out to ground at every post that is into the ground.
My opinion for easiest solution is running a HOT WIRE. Run it about one foot above ground,, well insulated away from your metal fence. Then bait it and see if it gets some action. Most predators do learn to stay away from such areas.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Sweetheat]

What about spraying some type of predator scent along the fence line? Could you lay a hardware cloth apron along the fence like so the fox couldn’t dig in? The wire might be difficult to do here.

 

[Orca5094]

I would definitely suggest hot wire around the outside of your fence line, and around the top. You will probably have to clear some brush and branches from being too close on those forested sides, but then it should be fine. You will want to do a walk around every so often to cut away new growth approaching or touching your fence, but it's not so bad.

Where are you located? If in the US, you will have to be careful of raccoons dropping in your yard from the trees/branches above your fence, so just be aware of that.

 

[Tuftul]

Thank you all! I have l learned since that you are not able to make the whole fence hot. That was an ignorant statement on my behalf. We are opting to run a line at the top and bottom. We do have raccoons in the yard at night. I don't mind them. They come long after the ducks have been put up. I wasn't concerned about any "nocturnal" animal until I saw the fox during the day.

Thanks again!