4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Beccy and Niki]

I'm just in the process of ordering an Eglu but I'm not very knowledgable about Mr Fox.

 

My garden is surrounded by a 6 foot fence all the way around, however, our garage which backs onto the garden is adjacent to a 3 foot brick wall.

 

We once had a stray dog who managed to jump onto the wall, onto the garage, then drop into our back garden.

 

Would Mr Fox be able to do this as well? (The dog was like an acrobat who belonged in a circus!)

 

We also have a dog, but she's a female. Would her smell put the fox off? Or is it just male dogs urinating that deters them?

[Gamebird]

Hello Beccy and Niki

 

Foxes are very agile and determined. They have been known to scale an 8' fence so a fox will easily manage what any dog can do.

 

Your female dog's smell will not put a fox off. Entire male dogs' urine may make a fox hesitate but not for long.

 

Sorry not to be more positive but most of us have had encounters with Mr Fox and so it is worth being very vigilant.

 

I use electric fencing which so far has proved very effective in keeping my chickens safe.

 

I'm sure other will come along with some god ideas on safety.

[Guest]

Hi Beccy and Nikki,

 

The fox-resistant element of the Eglu and run is what finally made me go ahead and get one. We back onto fields and I hear foxes every night and sometimes see them, but in nearly 3 years I have not being aware of one trying to get at my hens. Once we had a fox in our garden and the hens screamed, but they were in the run and safe. That is the nearest we've ever got.

 

So yes, foxes are something you have to be constantly aware of, but because of the eglu's security don't let them put you off keeping hens. As long as you are sensible and careful, your girls will be fine!

[stoice]

You could try the 'man wee' technique (Try not to make the neighbours blush though!). I've also heard that ferret poo or human hair can sometimes deter foxes. A lot of people on here have a foxwatch that also helps although I think nothing is 100% if your girls are not in a secure run when you are not around

 

http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/foxwatch-p-1722.html?source=googleads&gclid=CIPv_JzuwZQCFQs4QgoddR8uUg

[Olly]

Welcome to the forum!

 

I'm afraid the fox will easily scale a 6' fence, or take the route over the garage - basically if a cat can do it, a fox can do it.

 

The Eglu is secure - especially if you shut the door at night. The run is secure against a fox getting IN, but there have been a few - mercifully rare - cases of chickens being got at through the run.

 

Not trying to put you off, my chooks have survived repeated attempts by Inspector Fox to get into the Eglu run, until I got a Foxwatch as described above. Since then, he's lost interest in using my garden as a through-route. I don't let my chickens out unless I'm in the garden, however.

 

Don't be put off by all this, but you are right to be vigilant - urban foxes are extremely bold, and very determined.

[Egluntyne]

Hello and welcome.

 

'Fraid the fox won't have any problems scaling your wall, especially with a handy garage to assist him.

 

The Eglu is fox resistant though, so your hens should be ok.

 

I have had regular visits and they have stayed safe.

 

[Laura&Sean]

What an amazing picture!!

 

Always used to love foxes until I knew how savagely they can kill and not even always for food

 

The eglu is foxproof but make sure it is on even ground and the skirt is placed flat on the ground, I have used a few paving slabs and bricks just to make sure

[The Brown Clan]

We also ordered the screw in pegs from omlet when we ordered our eglu as our garden is a bit uneven and they are good as they keep the run skirt secure to the ground we found out the hard way by loosing 2 guinea pigs to mr fox on their first night here !!!!

 

have had no Issues in the short time we have had the girls though only out to freerange when supervised in the garden and my hubby does do the wee thing on my strict orders after reading it on here

 

Don't let the fox problem put you off I was concerned also but love my girls too bits xx

[Tiggy]

foxy will get into your garden very easily but the omlet run is really good, twice Ive found my shade torn to pieces & fox prints all over my eglu, the fox must have injuried its mouth trying to bite through because there was blood over the run & eglu, girls were fine

[Chicken Lady]

let your dog run freely down the garden especially at night. We had a terrible problem with a fox that lived in the very overgrown end of our neighbour's garden, within a couple of feet of our chicken run - he used to nip in there whenever he felt like a snack

 

Then we got our collie cross - who is a male dog but I don't see why it should be any different with a "Ooops, word censored!". [ didn't realise that would be bleeped out! I meant b***ch!)

 

To begin with we had him in the house after dark, and the fox was still visiting (but failing to get over our very wobbly 6ft high chicken wire fencing thank goodness - we discovered he'd been visiting by the footprints right round the perimeter of the run ).

 

But then we started letting the dog out for a wee just before we went to bed, at about 10pm. He took to belting down the garden at top speed, barking his head off - I realise that wasn't very nice for the neighbours but we didn't exactly allow him to do it for long! But anyway, the side effect was that the fox was terrified. I think he must have actually disturbed the fox on at least one occasion. Anyway - a few weeks ago I was caught out in the evening and couldn't get home until after dark, and I knew I hadn't shut the chickens in so I was really expecting the worst when I finally got home - not only were the chickens fine, there were no foxy footprints and no evidence that he'd been anywhere near. This I guarantee would never have happened pre-doggy antics.

 

I don't know about urine but actual free-range dogs really seems to do the trick!

[NClaire]

Our garden is fully enclosed by a fence, (usually), which is about 6ft high. It poses no problem at all to the foxes!

 

[Beccy and Niki]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

Looks like they'll only be freeranging when we're in.