Just had a fox walk along our back wall

[ConDemNation]

We only got the hens 2 weeks ago. I have been free ranging them, mainly, and obviously away at night.

But I just let them out this morning and two minutes later, saw a silhouette walking along the wall - I thought 'that's a bloody big cat!' before realising what it was.

I shouted, then put the chickens back into their ark/run. But I am gutted...I thought it would be a bit longer before we had a visit from a fox, if ever. I've never seen one here before.

I'm now feeling as though we're doomed...I cannot let the chickens live in a tiny 6x4 run, yet if I let them out, they'll be got for sure.

What canw e do? Three options spring to mind: electric fencing on top of our wall - but then, we have a fence between the area and the main garden, can we electrify that?

second, corrugated iron on top of the wall, and again, what to do about the garden fence?

third - building some kind of covered run, in the same area, but smaller than the whole piece of garden they use. This will be hard due to the trees etc.

Really appreciate any thoughts, my girls should be out in the sun but they are stuck in till I can solve this.

I'd go for electrics. You can buy a mains energiser from Farmcare uk for about forty quid, and the thin electic wire is also very cheap. Could you get some electric poultry netting and use that to make them a safe run? Foxes are a pain, I think electrics are the best way to keep them out, as a fox allegedly, can bit through wire.

Thankyou, that's really helpful...do I need to run it around the top of the wall, or just along the ground? Silly question, actually isn't it. I guess the fox could just jump over.

Off to have a recce and see if a covered run would be possible.

Poor old chooks They are only growers! Foxes are beautiful but when I think how close we came to losing our girls, it makes me cross!

Not knowing your garden I'm not sure what I'd recommend, i'd maybe see if I could run 2 strands along the top of the wall one over the other.
I have never had a fox problem, but I always draped some clematis net over my run, with the theory that a fox jumping in will get caught up and in a muddle.

That sounds good...I already have knotted netting above the wall which tbh I think put him off a little, even though I was standing there. I know he could bite through it and it isn't fixed very well, but it might be a deterrent.

I think I'll try and find out about electric fencing.
Thanks for all your help.

Farmcare uk is the cheapest company I have found for electric fencing. Just google them. X