Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.

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digga666

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #330 on: September 10, 2011, 09:48 »
That's very true HF. I would think any animal or even child caught in electric netting would be in terrible distress no matter what the output is.

It is a great article to build a fence if you have permanent large enough area though even with a smaller voltage.

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hillfooter

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #331 on: September 10, 2011, 12:48 »
That's very true HF. I would think any animal or even child caught in electric netting would be in terrible distress no matter what the output is.

It is a great article to build a fence if you have permanent large enough area though even with a smaller voltage.

Just correcting a common misconception.  Voltage is not the issue here it's output energy which counts and it's expressed in joules not volts.  Just like your electricity bill you pay for the energy you use not the voltage.  Voltage is important when it comes to breaking down the insulation which animals are covered in.  Bare skin has little insulation whereas a feather covered chicken has a lot and a fox somewhere beyween the two.  In order to restrain poultry a high output voltage is required ideally 6000+ volts.  Lower output volts may not cause a shock on a feathery back though the comb and skin areas are vulnerable.  Chx do learn and I have some little bantams who have learnt that they don't get zapped if they lift the net by dipping their heads under the bottom strand of the net net and lifting with their hackles.

As digga666 says animals which become entangled in a net aren't killed by the electric shock but can be by the trauma.  It's important that when erecting a net that it is made as taut as possible to reduce the risk of entanglement.  Slack nets easily snagg as well as short to ground.    Such problems are very rare, in over 11 years of using nets I've never had any animal entangled.

HF
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storme37

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #332 on: September 15, 2011, 20:46 »
id do what ever i have to to protect my birds if the fox gets hurt so be it thats life it 1 life vs 14 lives no contest im affraid
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hillfooter

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #333 on: September 16, 2011, 01:39 »
id do what ever i have to to protect my birds if the fox gets hurt so be it thats life it 1 life vs 14 lives no contest im affraid

Actually it's not very smart to kill the local fox unless it's learnt to get round the net.  What you want to do is educate it that electric fences are dangerous and something they shouldn't cross.  Killing it will just displace another uneducated fox which will be far more danger to your chx than one which has learnt to steer clear.
HF

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ex-cavator

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #334 on: September 16, 2011, 18:55 »
Just curious, I don't keep chooks, but whenever I log on I see this thread bumped to the top. The title tells us 'It's that time of year again' - the thread started two years ago and hardly a month has passed without a posting. So, just what time of year DO foxes attack?  :blink:

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hillfooter

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #335 on: September 17, 2011, 04:12 »
Foxes are most active and the most problem to chicken keepers when they have young cubs to feed in the mid March to July period.  The young are born in spring, March and April usually and will leave the den early summer May / June and be taken foraging by their parents.  The family groups start to disperse in Autumn Oct onwards and the young foxes become independant.  Mating takes place through the winter and the vixens are pregnant for about 53 days.

Foxes are a threat all year round but most troublesome once the cubs are weaned until they disperse in Autumn.

Hope this answers your question.
HF

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derekman

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #336 on: September 19, 2011, 13:28 »
KILL ALL FOXS IMO.

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hillfooter

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning.
« Reply #337 on: September 19, 2011, 20:42 »
Being in the suberbs of London, we have foxes galore. During darkness we have at least one fox an hour passing the the house at the front and god only knows how many passing through the unlit back garden where the hens are kept. From time to time they can be sen sleeping in the sun on neighbouring shed roofs. Now I like foxes so decided that my chickens would only have access to a run and not the whole garden (I also like my plants). So I took my time and converted an unproductive part of the garden which is shaded by trees for most of the day into a 20ft x 6ft fully enclosed run. It has a base of 4" x 4" gate posts laid flat and staked to the ground to which the upright panels approx 7' x 3' made from 2" x 1" ,are attached. These are covered in aviary mesh as is the roof. I then dug out the interior to about a foot and laid down more aviary wire all overlapped and attached to the gate posts then refilled adding with the earth alot of potting compost which keeps the ground relatively soft for the birds to scratch around in and because we only have 3 hens in this large run, apart from the droppings that are left in the coop itself the run is self composting. I was also a big concern that vermin were not attracted and I am 99% confident that even mice cannot get in! I'll post some pics if I can.

Hi Longbow you're not the guy I used to know on Alcatraz are you?

HF

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ANHBUC

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning.
« Reply #338 on: September 22, 2011, 16:39 »
Being in the suberbs of London, we have foxes galore. During darkness we have at least one fox an hour passing the the house at the front and god only knows how many passing through the unlit back garden where the hens are kept. From time to time they can be sen sleeping in the sun on neighbouring shed roofs. Now I like foxes so decided that my chickens would only have access to a run and not the whole garden (I also like my plants). So I took my time and converted an unproductive part of the garden which is shaded by trees for most of the day into a 20ft x 6ft fully enclosed run. It has a base of 4" x 4" gate posts laid flat and staked to the ground to which the upright panels approx 7' x 3' made from 2" x 1" ,are attached. These are covered in aviary mesh as is the roof. I then dug out the interior to about a foot and laid down more aviary wire all overlapped and attached to the gate posts then refilled adding with the earth alot of potting compost which keeps the ground relatively soft for the birds to scratch around in and because we only have 3 hens in this large run, apart from the droppings that are left in the coop itself the run is self composting. I was also a big concern that vermin were not attracted and I am 99% confident that even mice cannot get in! I'll post some pics if I can.

Hi Longbow you're not the guy I used to know on Alcatraz are you?

HF

Think he must still be there HF as he hasn't posted for nearly 2 years!!!   :ohmy:
Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens!
Bagpuss RIP 1992 - June 2012, 1 huge grass carp (RIP "Jaws" July 2001 - December 2011), 4 golden orfe, 1 goldfish and 1 fantail fish (also huge)! plus 4 Italian quail, 1 Japanese quail, 1 Rosetta quail.

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hillfooter

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning.
« Reply #339 on: September 23, 2011, 04:57 »
Being in the suberbs of London, we have foxes galore. During darkness we have at least one fox an hour passing the the house at the front and god only knows how many passing through the unlit back garden where the hens are kept. From time to time they can be sen sleeping in the sun on neighbouring shed roofs. Now I like foxes so decided that my chickens would only have access to a run and not the whole garden (I also like my plants). So I took my time and converted an unproductive part of the garden which is shaded by trees for most of the day into a 20ft x 6ft fully enclosed run. It has a base of 4" x 4" gate posts laid flat and staked to the ground to which the upright panels approx 7' x 3' made from 2" x 1" ,are attached. These are covered in aviary mesh as is the roof. I then dug out the interior to about a foot and laid down more aviary wire all overlapped and attached to the gate posts then refilled adding with the earth alot of potting compost which keeps the ground relatively soft for the birds to scratch around in and because we only have 3 hens in this large run, apart from the droppings that are left in the coop itself the run is self composting. I was also a big concern that vermin were not attracted and I am 99% confident that even mice cannot get in! I'll post some pics if I can.

Hi Longbow you're not the guy I used to know on Alcatraz are you?

HF

Think he must still be there HF as he hasn't posted for nearly 2 years!!!   :ohmy:

Ahh yes now I remember ............ the Birdman of Alcatraz!
HF

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teresa f

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #340 on: September 25, 2011, 12:07 »
Had just come back from walking my dogs at approx 9.30 this morning to find a fox in my chicken run and one of my girls dead. I have had chickens for a year now and although we do have foxes, they have never been a problem, possibly because we had a cockerel who died a few weeks ago. I guess I know the answer but will he definitely be back and any advice on deterants?

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hillfooter

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #341 on: September 25, 2011, 12:44 »
Had just come back from walking my dogs at approx 9.30 this morning to find a fox in my chicken run and one of my girls dead. I have had chickens for a year now and although we do have foxes, they have never been a problem, possibly because we had a cockerel who died a few weeks ago. I guess I know the answer but will he definitely be back and any advice on deterants?
He or she is likely to be back now they know how easy it is however if you chased him off that might help to deter him or at least make him more wary if he got a fright.

Physical or electric fence barriers are the only sure fire way to stop a fox.  There are lots of chemical repellents and electronic scarers but I've never seen any test reports which show them to be effective.  At best they may repell a particularl timid and well fed fox but you are not assured of complete protection for all foxes.

A quickly erected barrier is an electric net but it doesn't suit all locations.  It has the effect of educating them not to return once they've had a shock.

A persistant offender can be shot or trapped but that will just displace one with another but at least you might have the opportunity to teach him the dangers before he learns how to breach your defences.

HF
« Last Edit: September 26, 2011, 03:34 by hillfooter »

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joyfull

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #342 on: September 25, 2011, 12:46 »
sorry for your lost but an electric fence is really the best deterrent or a very secure run which is covered in strong mesh and either has a skirt of mesh all around it or is dug down about 12" to prevent a fox from digging down.
Staffies are softer than you think.

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teresa f

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #343 on: September 25, 2011, 15:22 »
sorry for your lost but an electric fence is really the best deterrent or a very secure run which is covered in strong mesh and either has a skirt of mesh all around it or is dug down about 12" to prevent a fox from digging down.
He came back half an hour later and had another one. fortunately we were watching for him and she was only hurt but we've had to put them in the coop while we decide what to do. My partner has started to build a mesh roof but that will take time and money as it is a big run, we also normally let them out in the garden for part of the day. not sure what to do, we can't keep them in the coop indefinitely. We also have two Jack Russells so needless to say they are neither use not ornament where protecting chickens is concerned

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Dottyaussie

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Re: Fox Attacks Warning. It's that time of year again.
« Reply #344 on: October 14, 2011, 10:11 »
I do feel abit sorry for the foxes getting all the blame. We have a pet rabbit that roams around the garden freely with the hens but in the last month it has killed one of the hens and this morning I found loads of feathers in the garden and poor Mary cowering in a corner with most of her back feathers gone. I have witnessed the rabbit chasing the hens before but after a couple of pecks its backed off. I'm keeping Mary inside for a bit to recuperate. Might be time for rabbit stew !!



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