heth1986 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 i woke up at 3am this morning to the sound of a slight scuffle in the garden, followed by a very short 'sqwark' from one of my girls... I felt sick and knew exactly what had happened My 3 girls were in a large WIR which is completely contained by 'fox proof' mesh and so I've never really worried about shutting them in at night. Mr fox has chewed straight through the 'fox proof' mesh, killed all 3 and taken 1 . It must have all happened so quickly, and I hope to goodness that it did, I wake up to the slightest sound outside and my dog barely even stirred so I'm baffled as to why there wasn't more commotion?! Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to go up the garden this morning and my dear OH has 'cleared things up' for me. I'm so annoyed with myself for not shutting them in at night, I'm REALLY upset that the fox got through the mesh and I'm absolutely gutted that my girls are gone. They'd spent all of yesterday playing out in the garden, getting under my feet whilst I tidied things up around them, even coming out to the car at one point so now I'm also thinking that the fox may have picked up the scent at the drive way and just followed it straight up to them. Even so, it shouldn't have got in Sorry guys, I just had to have my quick rant to people who know what it feels like... I don't know how I'll fox proof my run now, I guess I'll have to cover everything in welded mesh because we can't have electric fencing up there Sleep tight Priscilla, Felicia and Broke Neck xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Oh i'm so sorry - you must be so upset. Thinking of you. Thank god you have a great OH to help you when you needed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 How absolutely awful for you. I've been lucky so far (touch wood), and can only imagine the horror of this. To fox proof, would it be possible to fix low fence panels or similar to the bottom of the run, all the way round, (actually fixed up against the run), so a fox wouldn't be able to reach the netting to chew it. This would also keep some weather out, and act like a windbreak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I am so sorry , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missusmac Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Oh, gosh what an awful thing to happen. Glad you had your OH to support you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Sorry to ask when its still raw and painful, but am sure you will understand and it might save others. But just what gauge was your fox proof mesh... I am paranoid as it is but this is scary... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 Hi Lotty, thanks for your kind words. Suebee, that's a really good idea but we have the most awkward coop in the world... It's at the end of the garden and uses 3 boundary fences (kids at the back and on one side, hence I can't really put electric fence up there because they always have their noses peering in!), 2 side fences are post and rail and the back one is fence panels & bushes. We initially started with silkies, so just put a bit of post and rail and a gate along the front to separate the garden and covered the gaps with chicken wire (pre fox fears). We moved on to hybrids at the beginning of this year and the little wotsits kept jumping out , lad over the road also said he'd seen a fox on the road so we built a frame and covered EVERYTHING in said 'fox poof' netting... I'm wondering whether to strip all of the netting and chicken wire out and get a load of weld mesh in instead, its just quite a large space and will probably cost me a small fortune, but what needs must! I'll try and post a picture of the run tomorrow as I could really do with some ideas from people, there's no way I'm getting any more ladies until it's all properly secured again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Some piccies would be a great idea, Heth. It's difficult to visualise. If we can see where you're coming from, I'm sure someone will come up with some ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 Sandy, sorry I've only just seen your post... Don't worry for asking... If you've got weldmesh then I'm sure your girls will be fine... This is what I'll probably be looking at getting to secure the run properly. I undersand 16 gauge is a good minimum (or maximum depending how you look at it) to prevent foxes? I was sold some wire netting as fox proof, I found it on ebay, it's a bit like chain link but not as thick as the green plastic covered stuff you see everywhere. It's nowhere near as strong as weldmesh and, writing this, I feel like an absolute idiot for believing the guy who sold it to me . Typically, I can't find anything similar on ebay now and can't find his contact details... If I do he will be recieving some choice words and I will make sure I post the product on here so that people know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I have bought rolls of weldmesh from Hills of Devon.... It is not as costly that way as you may think.. Poor you, It comes i think in rolls 4ft high so you need some type of frame for it. I also suggest you buy a staple gun from screw fix. perhaps you will need to create a smaller safer area. dont forget you beed it totallyenclosed.. have a look at the thread WIR for inspiration and ideas. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 Thanks for that Sandy, I'll have a look into those. Believe it or not OH and I are half way through building a smaller enclosed coop to go inside the larger one (OH is a joiner so I wasn't allowed to buy one! )... plan was to have a raised house with a run underneath and to just shut them into this run at night, mainly so that I could keep the food and water in the run at night without having to bring it in and the girls could get up when they please and be let out into the WIR when i'm ready, but also for that added bit of security... it's typical isn't it? Well, we've learned our lessons the hard way, I just hope that others on here wont have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 So sorry to hear this. Terrible news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkitty Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 So so sorry to hear this - poor you and poor girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I am so sorry to hear this, what a horrible thing to happen and have to deal with. Hope you are ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 So sorry. I bought a metal framed WIR on ebay and was told the wire was fox proof but I new just from the picture it wasn't. The price for the frame was reasonable and puchased it anyway. I was correct, my cat could have chewed through it. I had to use the mesh for a while untill I bought the weld mesh but I had attached my train to it and shut them in there at night. I have since bought I think 19 gage weld mesh form Hills of Devon stripped the old mesh off and recovered it making a fox proof skirt around the base. It took me days I no longer shut them in the run at night. Hopefully it is fox proof. The fields at the back of me are used to rear and shoot pheasants however this does have advatages for chickens as I have been told they shoot the foxes I have very mixed feelings about this as I love to see foxes but at least my girls are safe. Another fan of Hill of Devon and they are quite reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Sorry to read about this *hug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Where abouts are you located as I have some weld mesh from Hills of Devon left over you could have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uma Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 I am so sorry for your traumatic loss. Uma x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted November 16, 2012 Author Share Posted November 16, 2012 Thanks again everyone for your kind words . I'm feeling much better today (still haven't been up the garden to clear things away yet ) and we've decided to wait until after our hols in February before we get any more. Lotty I'm in Dronfield in North Derbyshire so probably a little far to come to you unfortunately . Lotty / Sandy / Chickenshack just out of interest, what wire diameter did you buy from Hills of Devon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Seems they do some nice green stuff now and I think the taller stuff is new, but bet it is harder to handle that the 4ft.. Think there is no choice. on hole size for the 16mm gauge http://www.hillsofdevon.co.uk/aviary-mesh.html ops there is mine is 1 x1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted November 16, 2012 Author Share Posted November 16, 2012 Thanks Lotty, I meant the thickness of the actual wire but you answered my question anyway! 16mm it is x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 That's so awful. There seems to be so many losses to foxes & co lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 I got the 19g 1/2 x 1/2 inch 48 wide 15m roll to dig into the base of my run to stop foxes digging but also rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
