What would you do? Foxes & building a run

Would you mind if I photoed the area that I'm going to build the run

We don't mind - in fact most of the time we demand it 

Destructions of how to post pictures here http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19476.0

OK, so here's my back garden.  This fencing is 6ft high.  What I'm going to do is use the fencing to create 3 out of 4 sides to the coop and then build the 4th wall our of frames of weld mesh. Please correct me if any of what I plan is wrong.

I am going to keep digging over and changing wood chippings once the chooks destroy the ground.



So next is a close up of the area, excuse Tyr, he wanted to get in on the action!



So.... I'm thinking, as foxes can climb, I will need a roof, I'm thinking a mix of weld mesh to the left and poly sheeting to right. (SE so the left gets sun and the right is shaded from the fence then the house next door).

Now as they can dig, how do I protect the bottom of the fence?  As you can see I have a thick hedge to the rear so can't access the outer of the fencing.  The fencing to the right, you can just about see on the first picture, there is 2 fences, so can't get in there either as gap too small and to the left, although neighbour would allow us into their garden, they have flags down leaving a foot of earth at the boundary to our fence.

To add to my confusion, in the top left corner there is a large boulder (now photoed below) covered in moss in the pic, but doesn't allow us to dig into it at all.

No it's not, it is a big boulder, was there before the fencing got put in.

That's just the turf, I also have 16m2 of decking you can just see, and front and side areas too - infact the daft mutt prob has the most space of us all and he never blooming uses it, the chooks would be going in with his area if we didn't have plans in for an extension!

At the back is a big sports field and park so the garden is only until the kids are old enough to be round there.

Anyways - so mesh the whole roof first, can do.  Now the digging down around the boulder, just do what I can and hope for the best, or exclude it from the run, I just don't know how big it is, tip of the iceberg perhaps?

Could I also ask where you think is best to buy this weldmesh from.  I live in the darkest depths of nowhere, so have limited places.  Had a look on ebay for an idea but rather confusing.  Just B&Q or we have a farm supply shop?

If you're 100% sure its just a rock I would remove it - Sooner or later you'll want it moved it might as well be done now   If its a decent size you can leave it in the run for the girls to play on.

I had my mesh from Hills of Devon - at the time it was the cheapest I could find with delivery for 1/2 x 1" mesh,  I think others have used mesh direct.

I built a simple gate frame and covered it in mesh, I also have mesh sunk vertically 18" into the ground all around the run. The only place the fox has attempted to get into the run is at the gate, the mesh stopped it. I wasn't happy it wouldn't try again so I filled the hole and placed some 3ft concrete flag over it.

Oooo, and what about this for the bottom of the fences.  Although I can't get in to dig down, if I could get in to place flags all around the bottom of the fence would that be fox proof?

If I remember rightly it was accepted that 1/2x1" was pretty much adult rat proof.

I wouldn't trust just flags on their own, create an L shape with 2ft of mesh up the fence and 1-2 ft as a skirt around either the outside or even the inside.  Other than a big rock, is there a reason you can't dig down 2ft all the way round the fence perimeter inside your garden and just put wire vertically?

I'm someone who uses chicken wire, havn't heard a fox where I live, they prob stay next to the free range farms, but used it at the lottie I had down south with a resident fox family.
Does your dog react to foxes? You could have a portable house and run, so that the lawn remains.BIL has both a portable for the bantams as well as a permanent area for the biggies.
I have wire dug in, mine are next to my shed with a roof and enclosed run as well as outer run, outer area has pea/bean netting for roof protection.