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[ToHenOrNotToHen]

Hello!

 

My OH and I are thinking of getting some chickens, only pickle is there's a fox den in the garden. They're here all hours, daytime, nightime and are really bold. They'll come to our back door and have gone nose-to-nose with our dog when she goes out before bed (no harm done, just sniffing).

 

The garden is 120ft with the fox den at the back. We'd put the chickens right by the house, concrete to one edge and a fence to the other so that they had some protection.

 

I'm not sure if getting chickens is foolish and that we're setting them up for fear/to be lunch. I've read lots of posts on here about getting electric fencing but the OH isn't keen. Having lost a bunny rabbit many years ago to a fox (she was in a 'fox proof' run), I'm panicking as finding her all mauled was truly horrible.

 

Is the Eglu (+runs) safe on it's own? Or would we have to go to town on Fox Watch, Electric Fencing or one of those water sensor deterrents? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Contech-ScareCrow-Motion-Activated-Deterrent/dp/B005MW9VOM

 

Any advice greatly received!

[mullethunter]

I think you'd need permanent thick wire mesh - like a walk in run bolted to the ground or something. Normally I'd say an electric fence would do the job, but if the den is actually in the garden I wouldn't risk it. In fact personally (and this May just be me projecting human feelings on a chicken!) I don't think I'd have them at all - I would worry it'd be too stressful for the girls having the foxes constantly trying to get them. Sorry. Maybe others will have a more positive view

[Olly]

Is there a reason why you can't get rid of the fox den? Even if I didn't have hens I wouldn't want foxes living in my garden.

 

There's always going to be a fox around - at least you know where yours are coming from! The Eglu is generally fox-proof but it would make free ranging them risky even if you were around, and the constant visits to the run could be stressful to the hens, so I would work on encouraging them to go and live somewhere else - they'll still come back to test your defences but that's a 'normal' risk.

[ToHenOrNotToHen]

Sorry I've not been very clear.

 

The den is in the garden of the house at the back of our garden but they're always in ours sunbathing and they use it as a walkthrough to all the other houses on the Close.

 

We can't do anything about removing them since they're not on our land but they're always in our garden. The Fox Project suggested some deterrents but since the den will still be active, they won't be hugely effective. Even if that den was closed, another one would pop-up nearby and I'm sure we'd still have regular fox visitors.

 

The fences are all 6ft but they make light work of those.

 

I appreciate your honesty.

[sparkysmum]

Hi, I'm afraid that if I were in your position I wouldn't have chickens. Even if you kept them in a fox proof run or behind electric fencing, the foxes would, I think simply harass them. Cant imagine this would be good for you or the hens. Chickens arent the cleverest of creatures and I dont imagine that they will understand that the barrier between them and the fox(es) will protect them. My dogs would occassionaly get excited about the hens and I know they were stressed by this.I cant imagine how much worse it would be for hens having foxes in close proximity to their run. The other issue would be that your hens would have no free range time at all, something that all hens appreciate.

 

Am trying hard to think of something which might co exist with foxes, I am completely stumped but my OH has suggested wild boar. Best wishes Ax

[Beantree]

The chickens would hate the harassment. Consequently they wouldn't lay and the stress could make them very ill. So it would be a rather pointless exercise.

[Cat tails]

If your garden is not too huge, you could think about applying electric fencing to your garden fence. A friend of mine has it on her 6 ft fence to keep her cats in and keep other cats out. It just sits on the top of the fence. Might keep the foxes from actually entering your garden.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sad to say, I think it would be so stressful having the threat of foxes so close that it probably wouldn't be a very enjoyable experience for you or your chickens . Most of us have the threat but not on such a close and frequent basis.

 

Sorry .

[Lavenders_Blue]

I agree, I think the chickens would be totally stressed out the whole time and mostly likely you would be too! I think in your situation I would sadly have to accept that I wouldn't be able to keep chickens.

[Egluntyne]

Another one here who thinks that it would not be a good idea. Could you speak to the owners of the land where the foxes live?

[Chickabee]

Is it possible for you to get pest control to remove the foxes, then fill in the den?