Fence round chickens

Location
Cumbria
We have 25 free range hens in 3 separate houses and have just decided to buy a larger hen hut for all of them rather than mending again the original huts. But as we are at work we tend to leave them in until we get home and then let them out to give less chance for our friend’s Mr Fox and Mrs Badger to snack on them. When we get our new hut I was wanting to put a fence round them and then we can let them out into a fenced area while we are at work and then when we get home we can let them out to roam out of the fenced area.
Question is would a fox get through a 6ft normal stock fence or would it need to be chicken wired to the top?
Thanks
 

twizzel

Member
I think you’d need more than stock fence to be honest. 6ft chicken wire would be safer but also bury it a good foot into the ground or fox will just come under the fence and his dinner will be easily caught as it can’t run away. From previous experience !
We have rentafence, but the most vulnerable sides are all buried 1-2ft underground. Called a favour from a friend with a mini digger to do it.
 

Paddington

Member
Location
Soggy Shropshire
We have had a fox scale a 6ft poultry fence to get to our hens, we put about 18 inches of fence at the top at 45 degrees (just like Colditz), which seemed to stop them. A quicker way could be an electric fence, say 2 strands a couple of feet outside your stock fence. We use a hefty mains energiser to power 2 strands outside a 4ft electric poultry mesh fence, as badgers are a problem round here and can easily rip holes in stock or poultry fencing to let Mr. Fox in.
 

Grassman

Member
Location
Derbyshire
We have 25 free range hens in 3 separate houses and have just decided to buy a larger hen hut for all of them rather than mending again the original huts. But as we are at work we tend to leave them in until we get home and then let them out to give less chance for our friend’s Mr Fox and Mrs Badger to snack on them. When we get our new hut I was wanting to put a fence round them and then we can let them out into a fenced area while we are at work and then when we get home we can let them out to roam out of the fenced area.
Question is would a fox get through a 6ft normal stock fence or would it need to be chicken wired to the top?
Thanks
We use electric netting. I have never had a fox go over it in 20 years. Get the taller version.
 
Location
Cumbria
Are you aware due to presence of bird flu in the country it has been a legal requirement since the 14th December to keep all poultry either inside or behind bird proof netting...
I am aware, and is one of the reasons that we have decided to get a new hen house and hence, ask the above question on the farming forum.:)
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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