Foxes-----prevention or detroy

Hello all you chicken folk, I was just wondering how people stand on this topic.

I personally like to see the fox but not on my patch, my next door farmers son has shot at least 3 over the holiday period, how do you feel about that.

Preventing is not that hard but can be expensive and best done when creating a new run. The best method I have found for a permanent run is laying 2in x 2in galvanised weld mesh 3 feet wide on the ground where your fence is to be with 18ins out each side and let the grass "take it down", it may need pegging to start with. Both hen and fox will scratch/dig and this method will stop it happenning where the mesh is.

Any other Ideas or opinions welcome

Unfortunately, foxes and chickens don't mix and once the fox knows your keeping chickens, he's pretty much got them on his radar will always look for some way of getting them sometime.
Being a country boy, I am with the farmer's son and agree with shooting them - you can't live in harmony with one unfortunately.

I agree with culling and that is what he does but not total eradication, certain measures can be taken and certainly should.

Fox numbers need to be controlled , overpopulation if left to nature means they will die of disease or starvation, most wild animals do not die in pleasant circumstances despite what Mr Disney and the animal rights lobby would have you believe. 
 Fencing the foxes out only moves the problem elsewhere.
Night culling with rifles is the most humane legal option at present.

Exterminate...exterminate...EXTERMINATE....

I am locking this topic as we don't want it turning into a pro or anti fox culling debate. Most of us on here do not have the means to cull foxes and for us prevention is the best way to solve this. We do have a section about fox prevention so if anybody has any ideas on that (which doesn't involve culling) then please post on there.
there is also lots of information on various posts regarding electric fencing should you need to know about it.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=45437.0