MamaCoop Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 Just been out to top up food and water for the hens and there is carnage out there....  Paw prints all over the top  the cube, bites on the corners of my plastic run covers (that I have only just had from Omlet 😡) and the wicker protectors I have under the cube are just a pile of sticks.  Assuming a visit from Mr Fox in the night.  Am impressed though at the cube and Omlet run as they seemed to be persistent and tried at various points of the  long run to get in. But its held its ground. I have a cube with 4m run and then a 3x2 low rise.  Phew...safe last night and ladies survived! Need to batten down the hatches now so no weak points. I live surrounded by fields and have had chickens for 4 years. I know there are foxes around but have been so lucky that this is the only known encounter we have had.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 Pleased you didn't have any losses, but this will have been upsetting for the chickens. When we had foxes outside the run the noise must have been enough distress for them to drop eggs from the perches. The hens arrived several weeks before the outer enclosure was completely finished, but they were very secure in the coop and run. It all changed when the electric lines were put in place and energised outside the enclosure. The fox or foxes will be back every night now unfortunately and the hens may not lay again. I know it is very expensive, but my advice would be to surround the area with electrified lines. I don't know if you can use a mains powered energiser and run leads from inside to outside, or if you will need a battery powered unit? So you will need posts, wire, an energiser, earth spike, tester and either a battery (and charger) or insulated cable. This is how we protect our enclosures. The unit we bought from the UK was a large battery powered Rutland with two very large leisure batteries, which we used to enclose sheep; you won't need anything like that. Sure there will be internet sites with guidance on setup. Our new unit is a small German made one (P1 something?), which can be mains or battery and uses an old car battery which lasts two weeks and re-charges during the day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 Wow @MamaCoop that sounds very lucky indeed! Hope your hens stay safe! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaCoop Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 All safe still!  Thanks for details Beantree about electric fencing which isn't an option at the moment. We did put our Omlet fencing around the coop. I know a fox can jump and climb but though this may delay them a little. No visible visit again. But realise they are probably back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 I've been surprised how effective netting can be @MamaCoop. Foxes won't jump over a poorly defined top; if it had a level wooden top edge it would be a different matter. Prince Charles' coop at Highgrove (I think) is surrounded by a fence made from varying height posts to create a random top edge. The security cameras filmed 7 foxes prowling around it one night trying to work out how to get in; needless to say they didn't. The weakness of netting is how easy it is to get underneath it and that's why we have electric lines around ours set at 8" and 18". I know we have foxes here because our neighbour lost all his ducks and I've seen a fox walking down the field towards his pond, but so far (over 4 years now) none have attempted to break into our crude enclosure. The chickens are in extremely secure coops at night anyway, so if a fox got into the enclosure it would leave with nothing. It's going to be a while before a fox works out how to get in Mamacoop, but I still think you will need the electric setup eventually. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaCoop Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 Hi Beantree, thats interesting about how foxes won't jump if it's not defined. I didnt know that. I'm off to Google Prince Charles.ans his Highbury coop! We are monitoring things daily here, so far no other visible signs of a visit. But we do live surrounded by fields so our busy fox is definately around. In fact my neighbour says he sees them on his security camera regularly in her garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 I've Googled 'Highgrove House chicken coop' @MamaCoop, but can only find the coop. The photo I saw in the Telegraph magazine, perhaps 15 years ago, with the staggered fencing around it isn't there and for some reason I didn't save the whole article in my 'chicken coop' folder. There is a photo with fencing around it but that's not what I saw. Anyway, it would cost a tidy sum to build one like it, so not practical really. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaCoop Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 Yes I looked too and couldn't find a picture. Though can imagine it from your description.  I love that you have a chicken coop folder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
