How far can a fox jump!

Hello

We are just mapping out where put electric netting, we have some 5 & 6ft boundary fencing. Any ideas about how far away we need to place electric netting to be sure a fox isn't going to take a flying leap from the top of the fence straight over it? (the netting is 4ft high).

Thanks Jo

As my memory serves me correctly have you thought about running an electric wire with you mains unit round the top of your fence?  You can purchase insulators. Then the fence can be your first line of defence and the netting your second.  


I would put up two wires on connected to your mains unit and the other to earth.
Why? Because the fox may have some protection from the mains unit as he/she is touching the fence there for it may not complete a circuit and giving them a shock.



Here is a picture of my run I have some stand off electric fence insulators (the sticky out ones at the top) and some normal electric fence insulators at the top. The idea is that if the fox climbs up the mesh he/she may not get a shock when they get to the top, as they do not have contact with the ground, and therefore not making a circuit and getting a shock.  So what I have done is put another line around the top and this wire is earthed, so in essence they would be touching the ground.

"For a secure boundary fence which will also exclude foxes, consider a 9 wire fence approximately 120cms (4ft) high, using stranded steel wire. With the fence wired alternatively live/earth a fox scrambling over or jumping between wires will receive a shock even though his feet are off the ground."
Taken from http://www.rutland-electric-fencing.co.uk/PageAnimalSwine.aspx
  

Hi Chookster the best place on up to get electric fencing is ebay.

.... I heard the wet weather can dull the shock system................

Wet weather will only dull the shock IF you have for example wet grass touching the live part of your electric fence. But normaly it will not dull the shock it will increase the shock as the rain can act as a conductor as the subject (you or fox) is wet and there fore being more of a conductor.

I have a six foot 'wobbly' fence and the foxes have never climbed it, but they did jump onto the five foot fence posts to get over, until I put a circle of barbed wire on each post.
Now when we build new enclosures we make sure the fence posts are on the inside.

Michelle xx