Important!! What are good ways to protect chickens from foxes?

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Do you free range or keep your chickens in a run?

If they are free ranging, foxes will patiently wait until they have a clean chance to grab them so having a trained livestock guard dog to protect your birds could help. Electric fencing could also be helpful.

If you confine your birds to the coop and run, make sure it is secure. In the coop close off any small openings and secure any weak places and close the coop up every night. In the run make sure the fencing is buried several inches underground to ward off a fox digging under it. You also want the run covered to keep foxes from climbing into the run. For either a coop or run, don't count on chicken wire to keep your chickens safe, it's way too easily ripped up by a determined predator.

Foxes will come back to where they know they can get a meal (meaning, your chickens) so if you've had problems with them in the past, they will probably be back. Just one fox can wipe out an entire flock so make your birds surroundings as predator-proof as possible.

Here's a link to a BYC article about foxes that might give you more information:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/red-fox-chicken-predators-how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-foxes
 
They need a sturdy coop and outdoor run - no flimsy chicken wire but, strong 1/2 inch hardware cloth and a cover on the run to prevent climbers, and predators jumping down from trees, as well as hawks.
Fox are very determined and clever, they can dig under, climb and jump high. Are you allowed to trap./shoot them in Australia? Please check out the predator forum on BYC for better advice. Welcome to Backyard chickens.
A good livestock guardian dog or two, would make quick work of them.
 
Our chickens are free range and they stay in a large open area out the back during the day and are kept in a large bird cage at night. We also have a dog (kelpie), but he's not a very good guard dog (he can be a scary cat!). Is having a dog wandering around the yard good to keep foxes away? Will the foxes smell him and keep away from the property?

Thank you

P.S. Check out my thread on saving battery hens!
 
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so glad you joined us.

If you free range, there will be losses. Here's a link to the Chicken Chick's experience with a fox attack during Supervised ranging:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/05/chickens-predators-myth-of-supervised.html
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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You may need to do supervised free ranging only and at other times keep them in a sturdy run. I can't let my birds out unless I am there to watch them. Too many predators lurking. Even an hour a day of free ranging time goes a long way for a flock.

Good luck and I hope you can keep your birds safe!
 
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Glad you joined us!

The other posters have given you some good advice.

Good luck with your flock! I hope you can keep them safe from the foxes.
 

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