megalin Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 (edited) Hello everyone, Woke up this morning to find a fox den at the back of the garden and a massive pile of earth! The chicken coop is clearly the larder for their new children, Panic Panic..... I love our foxes and wouldn't ever have them 'Removed for good' but they can not live here.... Any Ideas? Has anybody tried repellents etc for problems like this? Thank you, Edited April 23, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treekeeper Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Only repellent comes double barreled. You either give up keeping chickens or get rid of the foxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I'm inclined to agree, the both can't live in harmony Either your girls never free range or the foxes have to be "dealt with" We back onto farmland... I have to admit I was pleased when the farmer got one of my hunting neighbours to "sort out" the foxes with his firearms Sorry for the foxes, but pleased for my girls, still wouldn't let them free range if I'm not home though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 My sister(no chickens) had one in the garden. They gave the dog mange so had to go too. Plus the den was under the shed - entrance front, exit back so the shed was standing on thin air! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Foxes have to go our you accept that you keep sacrificial hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Yep - i agree. It's one or the other, i'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Have you got room for an electric fence? I have a family of foxes that hang out next door (not sure if they actually live there or further over) and lost a couple of hens to a fox a couple of years ago. Since getting the electric netting I barely saw a fox again. And while they aren't completely free to range they have a huge area to wander etc and everyone is safe and happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megalin Posted April 28, 2011 Author Share Posted April 28, 2011 I've just spoken to our neighbour, apparently they've been there for years! I've had chickens 9 months now, in London, they semi free range when I'm here and I've had no problems. I just don't understand. I feel like it's a time bomb but at the same time, I mean really no problem at all. The fox sometimes sleeps on the shed at the back in the day and never goes for the girls, doesn't even seem to look at them. Weird foxes ey. Well, I just can't have them dealt with I'm afraid. They are creatures too and deserve to live. I'll just have to be super vigilant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexhen Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I lost my first hen (Heritage skyline) to a fox yesterday late afternoon my partner was looking out the window and saw him in the garden but by the time he got to the door it was to late, even if we had been in the garden we might still not have been able to prevent it though. My neighbour lost 3 recently but I thought that was because he forgot to lock them up one night and we're very vigilent about that, this was in broad daylight. I'm sure that this fox will come back now every day until he can get my other two hens, so for only the second time since I've had them they are spending the day in their cube/run and that feels cruel because they are used to free ranging over quite a big area. We're going to try and get this fox trapped and I've ordered a product called 'Scoot fox repellent' that will hopefully deter future foxes so I can let my remaining two free range again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treekeeper Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 If you trap it you have to despatch it. You are not supposed to release it elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 We have foxes who pass through our garden frequently but our hens range behind electrified poultry netting and so far (nearly 2 years) it hasn't been a problem. We are very careful to make sure the fence is working properly and the hens don't range outside it unless we're out with them, but if you have got room for such an arrangement it might be a workable option. I suspect we're also being visited by a badger at the moment - something has dug a huge hole under 2 fences, set up its own latrine in a flower bed (which it re-excavates and uses copiously every time I fill it in ), and there are holes in the lawn each night where something has obviously been digging for worms and other juicy morsels. So far there hasn't been a problem with the chickens but we do shut them inside the cube run each night and the electric fence is ALWAYS on just to be sure. I'm tempted to set up a camera trap to see if I can film the culprit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
