[chloe]

Hi all,
today when i was up with my chickens two foxes ran from the field up to the electric fence.. i think they were just passing by but i'm sure they'll be back knowing that my chickens are there. So i was wondering; are there any ways of keeping foxes away? Any help appreciated.

[bantam novice]

Good question!  Lots of info about fox deterrents if you type that into the search box in the top right hand corner.  Once they have spied out a flock of hens they will be by regularly to check if the hens are still out of reach and foxes can be ingenious at finding ways of getting in.  Here are some suggestions that I have read or heard about.

Electric fence is a good deterrent.  Just keep checking it is not shorting out or that the battery is not running out.

Use weld mesh rather than chicken wire.  Foxes can chew through chicken wire.

Make sure your hens are shut away at dusk and wait until full daylight to let them out (not difficult this time of year!)

I have read suggestions that you could have a radio playing Radio 4 and the sound of human voices will act as a deterrent.

Human male pee around the chicken run (not proven - jury is out on this one!)

Keep a few alpacas in the area (if you have the space and money to afford them)

Guinea fowl and geese can act as an early warning system.

Good luck and keep us posted. 

[chloe]

Okay thank you!
Might try getting some guinea fowl chicks to hatch out under my broody so i know if there's one around!

[Casey76]

Having actually met some guineafowl today, I would recomend NOT getting any if you have any neighbours in the vicinity because they are noisy b*ggers; the squawking was incessant and it got on my nerves after about 2 minutes!

[Ben_H]

Having actually met some guineafowl today, I would recomend NOT getting any if you have any neighbours in the vicinity because they are noisy b*ggers; the squawking was incessant and it got on my nerves after about 2 minutes!

I would second this. We have guineafowl living and roosting in hedges quite near us (naturalised escapees?). I have never seen them closer than about 500m away as our house is probably too urban for them but you can easily hear them over that distance. That is not a problem for us, but up close it's a racket.

[joyfull]

I have guinea fowl and can confirm they are very very noisy.

[chloe]

Maybe not then! 
i would love to get alpaca's but do not have that miuch grass in the pen where the chickens are 

[Sassy]

Alpacas are browsers rather than grazers and it is possible to keep about 6 to an acre. However, just like chooks you should not keep less than 3. They are expensive and do have special care requirements, not difficult but you need to know.