Is it for me?

[Squizz]

Hello, I would love to keep chickens but I live in an area where foxes are a frequent visitor to the garden. I'd be distraught if they were taken. Should I risk it?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Only if you can build a fox-proof house/run.

[MaureenHall]

Hello Squizz and welcome. I'd go 100% with what Hazel has said, make the coop and run completely fox-proof (welded wire high fence round it all, buried and with slabs around the sides and a welded wire roof) and you should be fine

[Nicos]

I agree with Hazel...you'll need to do some good research/advice as to what is 100% foxproof though!

If 'they' can keep zoo animals secure- then a fox-proof chicken run should be simple...but may be a bit costly because of the wire netting

I need to do something very secure here for when I'm out during the day- at the moment mine get locked into a granite pigsty with a 1.5" thick solid oak door with a padlock on it!!!

Chooks are really more rewarding than I'd ever imagined..go for it!

[Squizz]

I was thinking electric fence! I would like to let them out in the morning but foxes have also been seen in the day! I read an upsetting post not long ago about someone only going to make a cuppa and the fox had been!

[JILLY JACKSON]

The rewards are great keeping chickens,but the distress of a fox visit is devastating,foxproof run a must!

[Nicos]

I've priced up some electric fencing in the UK- you can get 25m or 50m at 120cm high run off a battery.
I'm going to go for that cos mine free range- but we need to make a shelter to go inside first-out of sun/wind/rain ... and they'll still sleep indoors at night!

It's not particularly cheap- and you'll need to make sure the foxes can't jump in from say a nearby shed or fence.
I wonder how far they could leap if really hungry????

I'm going for the finer mesh fencing which can be moved around- as I have bantams and a big field ( so the grass should be OK idf we keep moving it round!

[lynda66]

i'm having a permanent run, we have a fox that jumps a 6 foot fence without even thinking about it, the base will have weldmesh under it, and the roof will too, you might want to think about those days when you aren't there

although electric fencing might work, i wouldn't like to run the risk of just having a run with that, when you're out and cant keep an eye on them, if it was me, i would make a permanent secure run, then have the leccy fencing for when they are out and about and you're at home...... but definitely go for it, it is possible, you just have to be very aware of what foxes can get into.

[Squizz]

Thank you everyone, I'll do my research and hope to have my own soon.

[dozey1]

Hi, i have foxes too but i also have 4 ex bats. They have a 6x4 shed and an enclosed 14x6 run. One sid eis the house the band sides i have enclosed with weld mesh. The top and front and weld mesh frames. The sides are wood panels with weld mesh and i have dug down 14" and then hit in weld sticks to a depth of a footthen put in 14" roof tiles. These are then cemented in with cement post mix. the shed is on concrete slabs and the same underneath the front of the run. Good luck and go for it....

[Noodle]

Hi, I have 6 girls and a permanent run. The foxes come through our garden most nights, but not during the day so we are able to free range ours. I'd say go for a really big run and dig down around the edge and put wire in and roof it, with wire or corrugated plastic. Then you won't have to worry too much.

[RedThorn]

I'd say go for it! If they can keep lions and elephants in a cage, there's no reason why you cannot keep foxes out of one. We have 4 ex-batts and I can say that it definately was one of our best ideas.... we're even now concidering getting more

[Squizz]

Then I'm probably best going for a large (secure) run and should only let them free range when I'm in the garden. I better get hen house hunting!

[Flummery]

That's the option I'm going for. Better safe than sorry.

[HayleyB]

Good idea Squizz, good luck - they're worth it