Fox deterrent

[TheBear]

We have lots of foxes in our neighbourhood, who have recently taken to coming around and scaring our hens. They'd probably like to do far worse to the hens, but haven't yet managed (largely due to the big fence we put in, but there's always a chance they could dig underneath).

Does anyone know of any effective deterrents to stop them from sniffing around? We're in a suburb, so any deterrents shouldn't have a negative impact on neighbours' dogs and cats. Any help would be appreciate, esp. as my other half is talking of investing in an air rifle.

 

[bertie1]

Electric fence netting outside your fencing , it will give the fox a shock . You need to keep the grass cut under it .

 

[basamin]

i saw this tip on river cottage - go to the hairdressers and get hair cuttings ,stuff some in a couple of pairs of tights , tie and hang up .
apparantly the foxes hate the smell of humans or else you can use urine.

 

[Staples]

Had a similar problem. Got a "Foxwatch" battery powered sensor on the net for about €90. Works a treat.

 

[Caveat]

Plenty of animals hate the smell of bleach (especially bears apparently) so you could try splashing some around your perimeter regularly. Less destructive is WD40 - animals tend not to like it either.

 

[ophelia]

Once you have hens the foxes will come around. They just cannot resist the notion of catching a hen, whether they are hungry or not. In fact they will leave lots of chickens dead and not even take them. It is almost impossible to fox-proof your chicken run.