fox proof chicken coop

[goddess]

I would really appreciate any advice from you guys and gals who keep chicken .my son wants to have chickens at home which i think is a very good idea.our garden is almost an acre but i have spotted two foxes atleast over the last few weeks.My question is is a ready bought coop fox proof?(i am worried that my son will be scarred for life if he comes from school and find chicken leftovers?also we have a derilict stable in the garden with no foof,can that be made to house the chicken safely.thanks from me and my very keen son

[BUFFS]

hi there,you would have to put some sort of roof on the old building,build or buy a decent sized coop to go inside and make a secure run(i got some of that fencing that they use around schools,really strong) and bury the bottom of the fencing 12/18 ins under the ground,it needs to be 6ft plus(foil mr fox), and i would put some light chicken netting over the run.when it comes to sizing coop and run,make them as big as possible,as you will no doubt want to increase the number of birds once you start to enjoy them,you will not be long getting a smile on your face with their daft antics.....

[Flummery]

Definitely make a walk in run - tall enough that you don't need to bend down to enter it. Cover the top if you can - foxes can climb up to 7ft. We started with weldmesh on the roof - same as on the sides of the run - but moved to see-through corrugated stuff in autumn. I'm so glad we did. It keeps rain and snow off. Give them at least 1 sq metre each in the run - more if you can manage it. Some of the runs that come with chicken houses aren't really big enough. You'll love it - they are fantastic creatures, and you won't believe the eggs!
Nicos has a stable for her chickens - she'll advise about that.

[RichmondHens]

With a garden as big as an acre, it would be worth investing in a length of electric fencing/netting - 25m made up into a square or rectangle would be enough for 4 or 5 hens, but you could get a longer length to make a bigger enclosure if you wish. This could then be moved easily whenever the ground started looking trashed (you will be amazed at how quickly hens will scratch it up) and you obviously have the space to do this. You could then have a small henhouse freestanding within the enclosure.

I note you have a derelict stable. This would need to be made dry and secure against foxes, but to be honest, making a small henhouse would probably cost no more, in fact possibly less, than re-roofing a whole stable, and would probably make for an easier management system.