Is there a way to deter foxes?

[aart]

Sounds like I've got it easy compared to you guys! To be honest, where I live, they probably get plenty of food. This one looks like a healthy fox, about the size of a regular dog. Although he doesn't look quite all there. He was in my garden yesterday, the chicken was away, and I was just watching him. He looked a bit like he was drunk! He was swaying a bit, looked a bit vacant, was staring at me through the window. I don't know. He just seemed a bit away with the fairies. Then he toddled off up the end of the garden and over next door. Didn't even look at the chicken cage. He doesn't seem that intent on getting her, although I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate given the chance. I haven't seen him sneaking around the cage.

Like last week, he didn't seem fussed by her. She was in her cage. Around her cage, we have a wire fence, as sometimes we want her to have a little run, but not throughout the whole of the garden, especially if we have people here who aren't keen on chickens. So the mesh is there just purely to keep her sectioned off, but a fox could easily get into that bit. So the chicken was in her cage and I could hear her clucking really loudly. Went down there, he was cuddled up in the corner of the little extension (which is what I call that bit) laying on a load of grass cuttings. I think he was keeping dry from the rain as there's a big fir tree that overhangs there. He ran off, about an hour later, exactly the same thing happened. I wouldn't be surprised if he lived next door. Their garden is a bit like a jungle!

Boy, that doesn't sound quite right...even if you don't have rabies in the UK I'd report that behavior to the natural resources dept...or whoever monitors wildlife there.

 

[jsmeureka]

An electric fence is only sure shot of deterrence. Fox are extremely smart and crafty, can jump high, squeeze through fence openings, dig under barrier fences and this time of year they are feeding kits and are desperate. I wouldn't even trust pee scents.

& climb

 

[jsmeureka]

My dogs may keep them back some but I have seen them all day, every hr. Ruger 22 helps. Dont have to kill them but they don't like the crack of that rifle. Extremely sly

 

[cmom]

I realize this thread as been resurrected. My electric wire is out a little bit from my fence. I do have my pens covered so nothing is going over the fence. I also have concrete under the gates and in some places welded wire buried under the fence and attached to the bottom of the fence, all done because of predators in the past, from hawks and owls to coyotes, bobcat and fox among others.

 

[cmom]

Usually once a predator makes a kill they will be back.