How flexible is a fox?

[Sutremaine]

Any opening large enough to allow a chicken through is quite likely to be large enough for a fox. On the other hand, a chicken is much less long in the body than a fox. If I were to take a bunch of PVC pipes and arrange them in a series of U-bends, would there be a point at which the chicken could round the corners but a fox couldn't?

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Naw, i would say if a chicken can get through, so can a fox.

 

[ECBW]

The grid on 2x4 welded fabric is enough to keep fox out and chickens in.

Be cautious about flexible material. Fox picked up the chicken wire (btn fasteners and it was not much slack) and crawled through. The chickens were not smart enough to do the same.

 

[Sutremaine]

I've got some 1" x 1/2" 19-gauge mesh on order. Planning to seal the joins by covering them with lengths of scrap wood. My thinking is that a single 4" gap is easy for a fox to get through. A 4" tunnel long enough for the whole fox, slightly tricker. A 4" tunnel with a U-bend... more difficult. A 4" tunnel with a second U-bend before the fox has finished with the first? That should be a challenge.

Would the chicken wire have worked even if there wasn't a gap between the fasteners? From what I've read, the only thing that chicken wire will stop is a chicken.

 

[ECBW]

What would be the purpose of the tunnel? point of entry for the coop and run?

Chickens are not burrowing animals. I dont imagine they looking at a tunnel and want to crawl in it.

 

[Sutremaine]

Just kicking the idea about at the moment -- the purpose of such a thing would be to provide an entrance that a chicken can get through but a fox can't. Wouldn't do anything to deter a mink or weasel (we don't have raccoons or possums in the UK), but foxes are what's on my mind.

 

[jtn42248]

I've got some 1" x 1/2" 19-gauge mesh on order. Planning to seal the joins by covering them with lengths of scrap wood. My thinking is that a single 4" gap is easy for a fox to get through. A 4" tunnel long enough for the whole fox, slightly tricker. A 4" tunnel with a U-bend... more difficult. A 4" tunnel with a second U-bend before the fox has finished with the first? That should be a challenge.

Would the chicken wire have worked even if there wasn't a gap between the fasteners? From what I've read, the only thing that chicken wire will stop is a chicken.

Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in NOT to keep anything out. Dogs, coyotes, foxes, etc. can easily rip through chicken wire in moments. What is it that you are trying to build?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Trying to convince the chickens to use the PVC tunnel will be much harder then the fox going through it. The chickens most likely just plain won't do it but the fox won't have any trouble at all.

 

[gawildlife]

Amazing the lengths some will go to when common sense is available.

A) Chickens are terrestrial birds living above ground.
B) Fox live in dens underground.

Let's review.

Can a chicken navigate a tunnel?
Can a fox navigate a tunnel?

 

[ECBW]

Some like to think out side of the box. Let imagination run loose. Who knows where it might lead.