[mandarincloth]

hi all i recently brought 3 hens and a coop and ive made a pen i think its fox proof but what do you think?




The wire fence is 2 inch square very thick gauge and 5ft high and then I've put some fine chicken wire on top to make it about 7.5 ft.  its not very deep in the ground as there's a concrete border all around and I've put 8ft posts up so nothing can climb on the brick wall and get in.

I just need to sort the gate out as i have to duck under the chicken wire so i need to make a 6 ft gate when the weather picks up.  I've managed to buy a rather large bag of hay which is medi hay for horses i asked at the pet shop and they said it was ok for chickens.   So once a week i just sprinkle it all over the floor. And I've got some thicker straw for the laying boxs. The size of the pen is 8ft by 12 ft by 17 ft as it tapers off in a corner. I might put some plastic spikes on the back fence where the coop is up to as it might be tempting to land on the roof of the coop by a fox?

[daisy1990]

nice to see you have gone to so much trouble for your girls.  Just be careful that the fox cant climb up the wire and over the top (they are very able climbers and can climb vertically without a problem.  Have you thought of an electric fence?  We did that with great success, keeps our animals in and our foxes out

[ManicMum]

It looks really good and very nice for the girls, but I don't know enough to tell if it is foxy proof. 

[mandarincloth]

thankyou

well the back wire fence where the wall is ive cut the tops off the square to leave spikes and the other sides ive left the chicken wire slack as ive read that a fox wont climb something that feels unsafe?

do you think looking at the drop from the 8ft post would make a fox think twice at jumping in?
as it couldnt get out?

[joyfull]

did you dig any wire into the ground (by about 8-12 inches) to prevent a fox digging under or failing that have the wire at 90° at the bottom, pinned down and sticking out by about 8 inches.

[mandarincloth]

the square wire fencing is 8 inch in the ground and there is a concrete border and the fence is flush up to it so theres no chance of digging in (unless it hires a bobcat) 

[nick in oxford]

great looking pen.to the human eye is looks fox proof but at the end of the day if it wants to get in then sadly it will.at least it cant dig under to get in.we had a fox jump an 8ft door and had afew geese recently.i would see how you get on with the pen,if you feel that a fox could enter then go for an electric fence.nick

[joyfull]

I would be tempted to put a roof on to stop a fox climbing (is there any wire on the fence side - sorry I caant tell from the photo) and also with a roof it will keep the run dry  .
Well done on digging the wire into the ground as this is often overlooked 

[mandarincloth]

no there is no wire on the fence side (wall) do you mean?

i thought long and hard about putting a roof on but i couldnt think of a economical way of making one? i thought about using that green netting that you put over ponds?

[daisy1990]

green netting would probably be fine.  Foxes dont like to feel unstable as you say so the flimsy feel of it should be enough to deter them (they could of course bite through it if they wished!)

Good luck with the girls

[compostqueen]

I would get it covered by some means as it can be accessed by foxy, especially the bit by the fence and shed. They are extremely agile animals

[jinty1911]

I have windows in my door the same as yours and have blocked them off to stop the draughts and drilled ventilation holes in the other side.  Mine free range round the garden at the moment but will be getting confined more in the Summer when my grandaughters want to play in the garden.  Luckily we dont have a fox promblem at the moment. 

[Spana]

What about the wall.  A fox could trot along the top, pop over the wire onto the coop no trouble and  wont worry about getting out.  When a fox has adrenaline racing it climbs easy peasy and can jump as good as any race horse in a very tight space.  So would a dog in the right mood

[bantam novice]

I've used green netting to cover the top successfully.  It also has the advantage of deterring birds of prey.

[mandarincloth]

What about the wall.  A fox could trot along the top, pop over the wire onto the coop no trouble and  wont worry about getting out.  When a fox has adrenaline racing it climbs easy peasy and can jump as good as any race horse in a very tight space.  So would a dog in the right mood

well where the wall is im not sure if you can see it but theres some chicken wire there which is baggy