Chucky Mama Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Oh dear, they have finally found us. ES saw our side security light come on at midnight and looked out to see 2 foxes at our side gate My girl free range all day and I really hope that they don't start visiting during the day We have been extra careful during the cold weather as they must be pretty desperate for food now. We are surrounded on 3 sides by very high walls and I am wondering if I need to secure the lower fenced side somehow Can you put electric wire on top of a fence to boost the height I wonder Time for the men in my house to do some alfresco peeing I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Sorry ChuckyMama but I think all of those are deterrents rather than safeguards - I'd be cautious about the free-ranging. Foxes are very, very hungry around now and they've probably known your hens are there for ages, you just haven't caught them hanging around and licking their lips until now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Oh flippety-flip! I'd be in a panic too, I dread the fox finding us, but I know it's only a question of time, checked the snow everyday for foxy footprints, but didn't see any. Send your chaps out to do their duty!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The fox found our chooks at the field the other day, it ripped in to the weldmesh on my run, made a hole in it then pulled the mesh away from the wood (the staples were a bit rusty ) and took one of my best hens A new stronger WIR has been erected today but we are also looking in to electric fences - the foxes seem so desperate at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Sorry to hear the fox has finally found you I really hope that your girls stay safe. It is possible to put electric wire along the top of a fence, I found this info on Flyte so Fancy's website the other day (coincidentally): I want to keep cats/foxes out of my garden, they climb over a 5ft tall fence, how can I do this? You need to make a two-strand fence running in parallel, along the top of your fence, with the lines of wire approx 2" apart. One wire will be a live wire and the other an earth wire. You would need some screw-in insulators and then a polywire to use as both your live and earth wires. A simple low voltage energiser will do the job and should be connected to one wire strand, and the other wire strand would be connected to your earth stake. The idea is that the cat (or fox) would touch both wires at the same time and therefore receive a shock. I'm not entirely sure how you would go about doing this, but I bet if you gave them a call they could advise, tell you what kit you need and how to set it up. Good luck keeping Mr and Mrs Fox away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Thanks LB, I will have a lookie at that re the wiring I didn't think foxes hunted in 2's, maybe it is mother and cub or a couple of youngsters We are very rural and the foxes are very wary but they must be very hungry. It is of course quite possible that they visit us every night and this is the first time we have seen them. If that is the case we have been very lucky as since we have had them they have been accidentally not shut in about 3 times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3happyhens Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Poor you - what a worry. Fox came in broad daylight a couple of weeks before Christmas & took one of my 3 hens whilst freeranging in the garden. I have kept the other two shut in since unless I'm very much around to keep an eye on what's going on. Signs of foxes visiting most nights ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I saw a HUGE dog fox in my garden at nine o clock this morning - just hopped over the fence as bold as brass. I guess we know what happened to that missing ex-batt We're trying to get the ex-batts in with the big girls in the WIR as soon as possible so that we don't have to let them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Twice in 10mins this evening a Fox was at my Eglu run, trying to get in - it actually touches our house and he didn't move when we were up close to him - certainly a lean time for foxes and we need to be double checking our security. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
