Fox Sniffing about

[gemtheblonde]

We woke up this morning very early to the ladies wanting out (5.15am is a record for them, usually its about 6.30!!) so we dutifully got up and let the girls out so they didnt wake the whole neighbourhood up!

30 mins later i heard them making and almighty racket and looked out the window to find that a great big fox was trying to get into the coop!!!! my OH flew down the stairs and out to the garden in a bid to save them which thankfully he did and no harm was caused to them. but i have been staring out the window all morning as the bloody thing keeps coming back!!!!

the girls have been locked up in the inner run now (coops is one of those ones that comes with the worlds smallest run so OH customised it and added on an extenstion) and are grumbling away about it. He also took a few extra security measures and has made sure that the run and coop are securely attached and has made a makeshift brick wall at the back so as it cant chew its way thru.

My question to all you lovely chicken keepers is - how do i stop it coming back? now it knows they are there im going to presume that it will keep coming back untill its gotten them?

we live in an urban neighbourhood and shooting it isnt an option. we have bought a trap but im unsure of how effective it will be. any advice would be great!

Thanks,

Gem xx

[Nicos]

Yikes

I'm sure he knew they were there already- from his very senstive nose and ears- and must have been delighted to see them more 'handy'

Thank goodness you've seen and heard him and had a chance to take preventative measures.

How safe are they now??..hmm only you know how secure your measures are- I really don't think you can go OTT on what you do.

good luck!

[Nicos]

Oh- forgot to say that I'd go with some sort of electric fence- but I don't know how that would work in your gaden?
Otherwise I think it's very secure metal fencing and concrete base ????

[gemtheblonde]

Thanks for your reply Nicos.

we have the small run on concrete slabs already. we have them fenced in all around the small run and a net on the top to keep them in and others out.

electric fencing isnt really an option for us as we havent go access to outside mains electricity, as much as id love it, we just cant afford to have it installed.

OH has gone home early from work to do a bit more security work. hes gotten hold of my rabbits outdoor pen (which they dont use as they are terrified of being outdoors! PMSL!!) which is like 6 solid metal gates and hes working that intot he fencing to make it more secure and hes spending the afternoon digging chicken wire underneath and in a sort of 'L' shape so that if it comes abck and starts trying to dig underneath it will hopefully (fingers crossed!) be stopped by the chicken wire.

one of my friends sent me a msg at lunch time saying he was out walking his dog this morning and he saw a fox at the corner of my street and his dog went after it and chased it away so hopefully it was scared away by it?

iv spent a small fortune on a fox trap aswell just incase it comes back.

xx

[Nicos]

gosh- I hope all that works- your OH is doing a grand job!

fox trap?
gosh!
What do you do with the fox when ( see- I'm being optomistic for you!!!) you catch it?

Could there be more than one I wonder???

Do take a piccie if/when you catch it!!

[gemtheblonde]

haha thanks Nicos! im being optimistic too! if we catch one ill be sure to take piccies for you!

im led to believe that we take it to the RSPCA and they will relocate it sumwhere as i was told (not sure if its true or not tho) that its illegal for us to take it and set it loose sumwhere.

im not really sure what the plan is for catching it, will prob catch more neighbour hood cats but then that will suit me fine too as we have millions of them creeping about the coop all the time.

OH is doing a grand job - im very pleased! lol he just called me to say the girls have laid 3 eggs (got 3 chickens) so they cant have been too badly distrubed by their morning encounter. hopefully they will have a lie in tomro and then we wont have this problem!!!

xx

[jessmorris]

Quote - electric fencing isnt really an option for us as we havent go access to outside mains electricity, as much as id love it, we just cant afford to have it installed.

Hello there, you can always run your leccy fence off a car battery.....just a thought....

[Hilary B]

Quote - electric fencing isnt really an option for us as we havent go access to outside mains electricity, as much as id love it, we just cant afford to have it installed.

Hello there, you can always run your leccy fence off a car battery.....just a thought....

Yeah, you wouldn't want the amount of fencing a mains unit will power. Don't forget to charge the battery from time to time, but a battery system should be quite sufficient for a garden chookery in an urban location.

[RichmondHens]

im led to believe that we take it to the RSPCA and they will relocate it sumwhere as i was told (not sure if its true or not tho) that its illegal for us to take it and set it loose sumwhere.



xx

It is silly for anyone to relocate it, rspca or not. A fox with a habit like that will soon seek out other chickens wherever he is. For the fox he will become extremely stressed being moved out of his territory and will most probably get attacked by other foxes. It is kinder and more sensible to humanely destroy him.

[petal]

I agree, Rspca are pillocks for not putting it down.

[Suechooks]

I agree, Rspca are pillocks for not putting it down.

Don't think it's actually been caught yet Petal! But yes you're right they can be!

[Allotment Nerd]

I have three Speckedy's on my Allotment. They are behind a good 3mtr high fence and i don't shut them in at night. My only fox deterent at the moment is for myself and my dalmation to..er...mark our territory. Get OH to pee in a bottle and then spray it around the run, the testosterone is meant to put them off.

[Allotment Nerd]

Put off the foxes that is not the chickens

[DeanzBeanz]

We found a fox stuck between the run and the perimeter wall. I had also noticed it sniffing around my neighbours rabbit most nights so I decided to chase it off. Since then the OH and I have been marking our territory with an old watering can

Told my neighbour about this too and he has been doing the same. Not seen the fox since although thats not to say he is not still around. Seems to work...

[petal]

My husband refuses to mark his territory. I shovel the dog poo in lines along the most vulnerable line of attack though!Gross!