How do I keep foxes away from my chicken coop?
Here are some ideas, some essential, and others that add an extra layer of protection.
- Use Secure Fencing to Protect Your Flock.
- Ensure your hens are locked up every night come rain or shine.
- Secure your coop from any Predator.
- A Monthly Check Up.
- Lights can Scare Foxes Away but…
- Pets Can Help Protect your Hens.
Can a fox break into a chicken coop?
Secure Chicken Coop If your chickens are free-ranging, the fox will most likely attack only one chicken. But, a fox gets into your coop, it will kill as many chickens as it can. So you definitely want the chicken coop and run well secured and locked at night.
How do I protect my coop from fox?
Bury chicken wire underground wiring, use electric fencing or house in a sturdy barn would be advantageous. Increase visibility around the coop by keeping grass low and leaving nothing around for the fox to hide in or around.
Can a fox carry a chicken over a fence?
Foxes can climb fences, and can even jump up to 15 feet in the air. However, they’re more likely to dig to get to your chickens. For free-range chickens, foxes typically pick them off one by one. When attacks happen in the coop, they’ll carry out as many as they can manage at once.
Do coffee grounds keep foxes away?
Commercially available fox deterrent powders don’t seem to work. Online, on gardening forums mainly, you’ll find suggestions. Spreading coffee grounds is one. Part of the problem, so another theory goes, is that urban foxes are now so used to human scent that it doesn’t serve as a deterrent.
What can I put around my chicken coop to keep foxes out?
A skirt of strong wire mesh that goes around the chicken coop (but not under it) can help to prevent foxes from burrowing because it prevents them from digging nearby. If you are going to install a mesh skirt, you must remember that it will make it more difficult to move the coop around the garden.
What does a fox do to a chicken?
Foxes are every chicken keepers’ number one nightmare. It is the most devastating moment for any chicken keeper: a fox somehow gets into your run and coop and kills one or more of your precious, much loved flock. How did they manage it? A fox is a cunning, smart foe. They will assess your coop and your run. They are persistent and learn quickly.
How big of hole can a Fox make in a chicken coop?
An adult fox can pass through a 10cm diameter hole and can easily scale a 6ft fence or wall. As demonstrated in the video above they can also tear apart thin wire with their teeth. This means that you will have to reinforce your current chicken coop to ensure that it is predator proof.
How tall should a chicken fence be to keep foxes out?
A 6-foot high fence (180cm), ideally with an outward sloping top, is a good start. The slope will prevent foxes from climbing over. If you dig it in, then that makes it much harder for foxes to create holes and burrow under. Make sure the fencing itself is up to the job too. If in doubt use hardwire mesh rather than chicken wire.
How does a Fox get into a chicken coop?
As mentioned, foxes will dig to gain access to your chicken house. If the wire is dug into the ground, the foxes will hit the wire when they start to burrow and eventually stop trying to get inside your coop when they realise that they keep hitting the wire barrier.
What should I use to keep foxes out of my henhouse?
Foxes are good climbers, so the fence should slope outward to keep them from climbing over the top. Use heavy welded wire for your fence. Never use chicken wire. Chicken wire is useless for keeping out predators.
A 6-foot high fence (180cm), ideally with an outward sloping top, is a good start. The slope will prevent foxes from climbing over. If you dig it in, then that makes it much harder for foxes to create holes and burrow under. Make sure the fencing itself is up to the job too. If in doubt use hardwire mesh rather than chicken wire.
What’s the best way to get rid of a Fox?
Foxes have an excellent sense of smell. They will smell your dog, and it can be enough to ward off a fox, but they may risk it if they are truly hungry. If you have the space, an interesting alternative is to try a Llama or 2! They are apparently great at driving foxes off. The kids will love the new family additions!