Urban Foxes

[Charlotte]

Does anyone suffer with urban foxes? I have them all around where I live and I've spent lots of time and effort getting my piggie house totally fox, rat and mouse proof with stainless steel mesh, fly mesh, marine ply and sheets of stainless steel. I know it sounds OTT but I literally can't sleep at night if my pigs aren't 100% secure.

Trouble is, I want to get another group of piggies that would need to be housed separately, but I can't go through all that palaver again.

Are chicken coups fox proof? The ones I've looked at look swish, but security wise they are nothing compared to my piggie set-up.

I'm getting a Dobermann puppy in the next few weeks. Obviously when Dobie is pottering around during the day nothing will dare venture into my garden, but when Dobie is snoozing in the house at night, the pigs will be vulnerable.

Any advise or tips would be much appreciated!

Charlotte x

 

[lisa82]

Yes we have urban foxes here and they are a real pain, and stress me out! I'm lucky that I've been able to move our furries into the garage (not used for vehicles of course) and they are able to still have decent sized accomodation in it, plus it has a couple of windows so they still get natural light and on nice days like today when we are around, they get to sunbathe in their runs on the patio. I don't know that you can buy any accomodation that is entirely fox proof and I think you'd be best getting something and adapting it security wise. Do you have a pic of your set-up? as it might help other people with the fox issue

ETA- are you talking about those eglu things? I'm quite sure I've heard of a bun being taken from one by a fox :0

 

[Charlotte]

Yes the foxes are a real worry aren't they. Such a pain. Luckily I work from home and I'm almost always around, so when it's a sunny day and the pigs are out in their grass run, I can keep an eye on them. I'd never dare leave them and go out for a few hours.

I have a secure shed which has been insulated to the hilt with stainless steel panels, steel mesh and marine ply. It's got a big window and I had the door turned into a stable door so that when it's sunny and I do go out, I just open the top door and the inner stainless steel mesh door provides security, but let's the light and air in. Same with the window. Nice and big, but with steel mesh over it. I'm not sure what my next door neighbours think. Sometimes I catch them watching me go out there in the dark, unbolting it, fussing around in there with a head torch, and then bolting it back up again. I must look like a crazie!

Foxes are so sly aren't they? They actually have the audacity to sunbathe on in my friend's back garden when it's a hot sunny day. Unbelievable.

Only have a pic of the interior.

Charlotte x

 

[Vikki]

Best natural deterrant for a fox which i have heard of is man wee. Get a bloke to pee in a bottle for you and pour it around the perimiter of your garden our local fox dissapeared from our garden and never has returned since I tried that one. Not very pleasant but very effective.
Our guineas and ducks sleep very soundly thats to charlies little 'message in a bottle' he left for the fox LOL.
Any cage that can be dug under or moved is not predator safe why not make use of the lovely big summer house in the corner maybe something could be done to make that more predator proof then you can fit in loads more piggies.

 

[Charlotte]

Oh I've heard the message in the bottle trick! Can't bring myself to ask though!

Ha! You clocked my summerhouse in the corner of my garden did you?! Hee Hee Hee! Gosh... I could pit lots of piggies in there!

My poor dad spent so much time making my shed totally fox and rat proof with lining everything with stainless steel panels, including the floor, roof and walls, that I dare not ask him to start all over again on my summerhouse! Can you imagine?! He'd think I'd turned into a crazie! Well, he thinks that already!

Charlotte x

 

[Charlotte]

Ah, forgot to say that Sophie and I have formulated a cunning plan...

I've just ordered this triple stacker hutch which is 4ft x 2ft. It will go in my shed and make extra space for my free range piggies and also provide a handy couple of extra cages. I'll raise it up a bit and stack some bricks in front of the ground floor hutch so my group can wander underneath it, AND get in it. That means I'll have gained extra room for my group... 6ft x 4ft floor space of the shed, PLUS 4ft x 2ft of the ground gloor hutch. That's 32sq metres! And everything is totally secure and nice and light, bright and airy too!

Very pleased with myself!

Charlotte x