Fox proof - confused! For nights away

[Chickydeelady]

Hi there,
My big white man and hard shed floor usually protect our ladies but I'm a new chicken owner and constructed things myself a bit higgledy piggledy - and looking for fox proofing for us to be away 2-4 nights on occasion. I'd coop them for 2 nights and they're under a huge shaded tree but with summer coming here in Aus, the auto door is going in and it's time to uplevel.
Pic attached. It's a lot bigger than it looks so I'm trying to modify cost and time effective (ha). I'm adding lots of extra horizontal and vertical beams plus hard roof with beams. But the chicken wire - first was heavy dog wire - is only 1mm which is 18 gauge.
the gravel side is 60cm high and impenetrable and have created decent aprons around each other side. Where I need help is how to make this safe. And as these projects take so long for me, love any short cut ideas.
Apart from all the extra wood and stapling plus roof, I'm guessing this chicken wire is too thin. Would heavier wire/hardware cloth need to cover even the very high parts above 1.8metres? Possibly add corrugated iron at the bottom parts and dead hedge?
They'll be in safe coop at night but there are daytime foxes.

I know that ripping it all off and putting on the hardware cloth would of course be best case scenario. I'm trying to avoid that for a lot of reasons. Cheers!

 

[cavemanrich]

Let me tell you a little about fox. They are daytime and night time prowlers. But more daytime.
They will not climb high up to chew thru chicken wire. That means if you have the lower portion covered with hardware clothe, you should be OK. They may resort to digging, but you mentioned there are decent aprons,,, so that will stop the digging attempts.
So be observant while you are still not away, for those 3, 4 day events, and see where efforts to fox entry are occurring.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,, from Up Over ,,, and

 

[Chickydeelady]

Thank you kindly! I've been told from many that they are more active in the day - I'll have to get the wifi to reach there and watch on cam with my dog inside. There's been no fox evidence the last 7 months but I know they would watch for when dogs and I are away.
That is very good to know about the higher wire parts. As I'd definitely thought that might be a stretch for them.

 

[cavemanrich]

Don't remove the chicken wire in the replacement effort. Just attach the chicken wire and hardware clothe together. Meaning,, you will have a double layer. This just makes for easier/faster installation way.

 

[Chickydeelady]

Don't remove the chicken wire in the replacement effort. Just attach the chicken wire and hardware clothe together. Meaning,, you will have a double layer. This just makes for easier/faster installation way.

I'm glad you said that as powering through it is a key aspect to me getting it done

 

[Down Under]

Hi Chickydeelady, cavemanrich is right but there are that many here competing for food that you can see them day or night, they do seem to be the most active around dusk and dawn. I have tried to run a few of them over at night and the crack of dawn but the buggars are just too fast, lol.
I used 25mm x 25mm x 3mm welded mesh so that they cant get their teeth around it, but it can get expensive for big areas. Others use corrugated iron around the bottom like you said (dig a trench and run it up to at least knee height), electric wire/mesh, guard geese, mini fox terriers (or any terrier breed that goes after foxes) and even Alpacas.
Foxes are great climbers, great diggers, great hiders and can squeeze through a gap that is 100mm square.
Your retaining wall and big rocks are good, the planned hard roof and extra beams will be a great addition and yes heavy mesh would need to go all the way (so higher than 1.8 mtrs).
If you upgrade to heavy mesh, fix the gaps and digging issue with your access door and the gap where your run meets your shed then it should only be areas that they can dig that needs to be double checked.

 

[Chickydeelady]

Hi Chickydeelady, cavemanrich is right but there are that many here competing for food that you can see them day or night, they do seem to be the most active around dusk and dawn. I have tried to run a few of them over at night and the crack of dawn but the buggars are just too fast, lol.
I used 25mm x 25mm x 3mm welded mesh so that they cant get their teeth around it, but it can get expensive for big areas. Others use corrugated iron around the bottom like you said (dig a trench and run it up to at least knee height), electric wire/mesh, guard geese, mini fox terriers (or any terrier breed that goes after foxes) and even Alpacas.
Foxes are great climbers, great diggers, great hiders and can squeeze through a gap that is 100mm square.
Your retaining wall and big rocks are good, the planned hard roof and extra beams will be a great addition and yes heavy mesh would need to go all the way (so higher than 1.8 mtrs).
If you upgrade to heavy mesh, fix the gaps and digging issue with your access door and the gap where your run meets your shed then it should only be areas that they can dig that needs to be double checked.

Good eyes oh yes the gate and above shed - that will be flush corrugated metal for that door. Oh thanks so much, very helpful. I can see myself sacrificing form for function quite a bit.
I was hoping my kitty might take to the run for when maremma and I are away but though she free ranges with us, bit of a risk!
I'm one of maybe two properties n the tiny town with chickens and I'm certain the foxes know it and when we are out. The coop is under a huge tree, ventilated and very safe.. but yes ideally not wanting them to stay in there for summer days. This helps a bunch thank you.

 

[Down Under]

Also lay a piece of mesh on the ground under that doorway, it wouldn't take a fox much to dig the gap under the door big enough for them to get under it.

The second photo is a bit deceptive where the shed flashing meets your runs upright, the gutter makes it look like the gap is about 100mm.

I know dogs are scared of cats but I'm not sure how kitty would fair against a hungry fox, some of the ones that I see are so skinny that you can see their rib cadge. If you are after an animal for protection some swear by the guard goose, but I don't think it is as easy as just dropping a goose in there.

 

[Chickydeelady]

Also lay a piece of mesh on the ground under that doorway, it wouldn't take a fox much to dig the gap under the door big enough for them to get under it.

The second photo is a bit deceptive where the shed flashing meets your runs upright, the gutter makes it look like the gap is about 100mm.

I know dogs are scared of cats but I'm not sure how kitty would fair against a hungry fox, some of the ones that I see are so skinny that you can see their rib cadge. If you are after an animal for protection some swear by the guard goose, but I don't think it is as easy as just dropping a goose in there.

Yep the doorway has a large piece of mesh on/under ground and will be covered bottom to top with metal. I think I'll need to do a bottom wood lip over the wire where the bottom of the gate connects - keep from getting gate stuck in leaves etc.
Ahh now I get it. Nope only a very small gap. But directly flush with the shed it's open awaiting closure.
The geese sound intriguing enough to look up! My maremma keeps us clear of them when out and home. He's a bit of a full time job ha so I think no more animals, but intrigued!

 

[Down Under]

Sorry I keep forgetting that knee's come in all different heights, so my comment about corrugated iron should have been 'high enough that a fox cannot see over it'.