Stoat killed hens asleep in the Eglu

[essexhen]

A week or so ago we lost our little Heritage Skyline 'Nissan' to a fox - broad daylight but heading towards sunset we then started locking the remaining two in the run an hour before sunset as they free range all day. We realised that the fox had been digging at the run around 10pm one night last week - not sure how to attach photos here? but the skirting to our run isnt totally flat, so we weighed down the skirting with plant pots and starting pulling the door to the cube across overnight. To make it even more secure my other half has made a wire mesh which we will sink underneath the cube/run - fingers crossed it works because I think this is one determined fox.

 

Rather sweetly the last egg we had from Nissan was our first double yolk.

 

I was wondering if anyone else had done anything similar to make their run more fox resistant?

Edited May 7, 2011 by Guest

[essexhen]

Photos

The standard run on bark,

 

Close up of the skirting

 

New mesh floor

 

The hens have gone out free ranging for the day now so no photo of them

[doctors girls]

that looks a strong piece of mesh and should do the trick here is a photo of my foundations of the wir my wire mesh is built through the brickwork and covers the full floor of the run even though half of it is slabbed

 

 

i did this mainly because people around us were saying we will get foxes and rats even the little children were saying it so it is pleasing to know the kids are getting some sort of education we already have the odd fox in the area i saw 1 before i got the girls but that did not put me off and as for the rats there is plenty of big ones that live in the houses better known as busy bodies but in fact the house opposite has a rat problem but that will be my fault because i keep chickens

[essexhen]

That's actually cemented in? that looks good.

 

Teethmarks

 

I get the feeling we havent seen the last of this fox.

[Egluntyne]

If you look round the section, you will see that many of us put our cubes and Eglus on paving stones to stop foxes tunnelling in.