The Fox showed up

NA

In the Brooder
9 Years
May 23, 2010
17
0
22
My 5 girls slept in their coup for the first time last night. I have a 4x8 ft pen for them to play in during the day. They got used to being outside about 3 or 4 times before I had them sleep in the coop all night. I just went out to scoot them into the coop for the evening (they don't go in by themselves yet) and this fox was laying there just staring at them. Of course he took off when he saw me. This is not good!!! I have the 1" chicken wire around the pen and on top of it I put the stronger 2x3 inch wiring. I buried the chicken wire 6" into the ground and 6" out so that if someone digs, they'll hit the wire. I put two 4x4 beams side by side all the way around the perimeter of the pen to help keep anyone from digging. Seeing the lousy fox staring at them tonight has me worried. How aggressive will he be when I'm asleep and he's hungry??????
 
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a fox will tear right thru chicken wire, you need welded wire, hardware cloth, something much stronger than chicken wire, its ok to use inside a coop for sectioning off, but outside its useless against almost all predators. You need to make some adjustments immediately or you are endangering the life of your chickens. I wouldn't leave them in the pen again until you have something stronger on it. Even buried most predators that dig will dig right thru it. Hope it all works out for you...but a fox sitting by my coop, would make me want fort knox.........
 
I have the 1" chicken netting covered with the welded 2x3" wire all around and on top. Are you saying even that won't keep out a fox?
 
Sorry, I misunderstood!!
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Thought you meant chicken wire on the sides and welded on the top of the pen!! Sounds like you did a good job on it. Guess I read through too fast...
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Yes, they can be very aggressive when they want dinner...unfortunately for us their dinner looks like our favorite chickens!! If there is any way you can get rid of the fox that would be the best. Good luck getting rid of your critter!!
 
2"x3" wire will keep a fox out but not a raccoon. They'll grab a bird and try to pull it through the fencing.

You really need 18" or 24" hardware cloth around the bottom of the fence otherwise you may very likely come out some day to find headless birds.

An electric fence is also a good deterrent. A 2 mile fence charge is only $20.00 and the wire and insulators are pretty cheap. It is also satisfying to know that a predator will probably get a zap if they are trying to get your chickens.
 
I think you'll be fine, even with a racoon. It looks in the picture like you have the chicken wire with the welded wire right over the top of it. I don't think a raccoon would be able to pull a chicken through that. (I could be wrong, but it looks like the openings are too small with both wires overlapping) Just make sure you have hard latches to open on the coop, like ones that require you to twist or unlock. A raccoon can figure out a simple hook latch and pop it open.
 
We have a nasty fox problem too. I think we have two females, probably feeding babies. Last weekend she just ran right down the road, turned into the driveway, ran over to them and grabbed one and didn't break stride! That was the end of free-ranging unless we're outside working. I mean, we had just been outside, and we were watching from the picture window! These guys have guts! My DH got a shot off last week, but at 130 yards, he knew it would've been dumb luck to kill her. Fox are so pretty, but not in my yard going after my girls!
 
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