[Penny Finn]

Have decided to get three more chickens after my three girls were all taken by a  *** fox.  They are usually in a compound then inside a hutch and run during the night (I didn't shut the front door!)  This time round I will be more vigilant about closing the door at night but I thought they were safe in the secure wire home - obviously not as the fox dug underneath.  Does anyone have suggestions how I could secure the run in a better fashion?  We think the only way is to fix wire netting across the complete floor of the run - thereby making an enclosed unit.  A bit reluctant to do that however as I know how they love to scratch and some parts of the day they are confined to the hutch and run and not out in the compound.  Have considered the lion poo suggestion?  Would be grateful for any further advice.
Gardening Granny

[Roughlee Handled]

Dig the 19g 1 inch by 1/2 inch weld mesh into the ground by at least 9 inches. 

[Penny Finn]

Only problem with that Stuart is, we move the run and hutch every couple of days so that if they aren't out in the compound they have a fresh bit of ground to scratch on.  Would be a bit major to dig it in every time?  One of the reasons I am reluctant to completely enclose the unit with wire.
Penny

[woodside farm]

You could try fastening a strand of Barbed wire around the bottom of the run.

[Roughlee Handled]

I always close the pop hole every night. You can purchases auto closers.

I have done something similar to "woodside farm"  I have a strand of electric fence wire round the bottom of the run.

[Foxy]

You could create a "skirt" of weld mesh around the base -say around a foot to deter Mr Fox from digging in. One thing to watch out, he will be checking your place out on a regular basis and not just at night so you will need to be extra vigilant during the day also. Good luck!

[karlooben]

do what i did pertend u were building a run for a monkey  aint never getting out of my run or in for that matter .

[Sarah Mitchell]

Last week I learnt a valuable lesson: never, ever under-estimate the Fox...

We have foxes in the area and I've lost chickens in broad daylight before so when we moved to our smallholding about a year ago we created some large fixed pens.  The fence is good quality chicken wire and it's dug a foot into the ground.  The fences are well over 6 feet high.  Everything's been fine and even though we've seen the fox patrolling the area we were happy he couldn't get in...

I had approx 50 chickens in the pens... my breeding Polands, Silkies, Legbars, Japanese... miscellaneous hens and my young pullets and cockerels ready for sale... by Wednesday tea time I had 6 birds left...  It was carnage, a massacre... it happened in broad daylight.  My OH is now looking at putting barbed wire round the top and secondary electric fencing.  We may have to mesh the top but that's a big job and we have a house to build...

The fox was a small mangy beast not much bigger than my cat, but he was hungry and trying to feed the vixen and 6 cubs. 

Last week was awful and I wouldn't want anyone to go through it... so please don't under-estimate the Fox

[karlooben]

oh thats bad sorry for all the lose .

i have not buried my wire into the ground as it was to large an area for me to do it an the ground had turned solid , but i do have the welded wire going out about 2 foot all the way round the run with slabs on them railway sleepers an anything else thats very very heavy . this run as been up since last august an not once has a fox even tried getting in i know they have looked as they left poo on my concrete blocks that are around one side chicken wire is one thing i was well and truly warned agaisnt using as the foxes can chew though it .