Solving Omlet Smart Auto Door Timing Issues with Alexa Routines

[Justadmin]

Hi all,

 

I'm in the process of creating a coop and run for our first ever chickens we're getting at the end of the month.

 

We live in a built up suburban area and I know there are foxes around - although I've only ever seen them in the street twice and they've not (to my knowledge) ever tried to get in to our quails' cage.

 

Anyway, the chicken enclosure is basically our old 6x4 shed. The horizontal panels have been removed, additional vertical timbers have been added and the whole thing has been clad in weld mesh. Their coop section is a raised kind of thing at one end of the shed.

 

Fox defences so far are:

- Shed roof staying on so they can't climb in.

- Strong weld mesh used instead of ordinary chicken wire

- Shed originally built on solid paving slabs which cover the whole floor area

- Weldmesh skirt around the bottom of the structure on the outside.

- Shed in corner of the garden so two sides have a fence panel immediately behind them with only a teeny tiny gap inbetween.

- One of the above sides also has a rather large bamboo growing in the tiny gap which would make it nigh on impossible for anything to get down there.

 

Is there anything else I could reasonably do to prevent fox invasion? I feel like I've done everything I can and I'm hoping that the combination of man made and natural defences might keep the girls safe when they arrive.

 

Many thanks for any help or advice!

[Olly]

That sounds really good. If you look at fox attacks on this forum, unfortunately a majority seem to come out of the blue- the fact that you never see a fox doesn't mean they are not there. I think being aware of the risk and not letting your defences down is the first principle. The best henhouse in the world is no use if the hens aren't in it.

 

Other risks are not having a roof, using chicken-wire and not weld mesh but you're covered on those fronts. Make sure the way the door closes is secure. Foxes can slide a simple bolt or latch so have it out of reach, and the sort of bolt that turns 90 degrees (there must be a technical term for this!) to lock. And just remember that if a cat could get in or on it, so could a fox. Sounds as if you're good to go - enjoy your hens!

[Princess Leia]

Sounds like the chicken equivalent of Colditz! One other point I would make is that have a resident male dog does seem to keep foxes away. We have foxes round us, the garden backs onto fields, we see them even in the street late at night occasionally. Never any evidence of them coming in the garden though. I knew our daft useless retired greyhound would earn his keep somehow...

[HarrisonFamily]

Sorry to disagree but we have a male dog who often chases the foxes out the garden but they still come back.....

 

The run sounds great but just be careful if you free range as one of our hens was taken with a garden full of noisy children....

[eve]

I brouhgt a wir from here in sale last year, best thing i did to prevent fox attacks. I also have a male dog and havent seen a fox in a year now.girls are happy i give them different treats or branches that i collect from a park near me so they can fly up and perch. Just wish they did a solid roof pannel as having problems with the wet and windy weather.

[Justadmin]

Thanks for the replies everyone, sounds like I'm on the right tracks which is good.

 

Not having encountered foxes in this way before I'm not really sure how strong or clever they are, so I'm overestimating their abilities just in case!