How to Fox Proof a Chicken Coop

If you’ve read the book, The Adventures of Reddy Fox, you’ll be familiar with Reddy’s innate love for catching and eating chickens. Though the book is fiction, a fox’s love for these feathered fowls is not. Foxes have been a headache for chicken farmers for years, and many attempts to deter them have failed.

So the question remains, how do we once and for all, stop these little red beasts from getting our chickens? We’ve put together, (what we believe is) a complete guide to preventing foxes from snatching your hens. Discover some proven ways to fox proof a chicken coop.

What Should I Know About Foxes As Chicken Predators?

Though we may imagine them to be big animals, red foxes only stand about two feet tall. Their size, however, does not indicate the amount of damage they can do to your chickens. A single fox can completely decimate a flock in a matter of time. They often work alone and make it a goal to kill as many chickens as possible, taking one as a to-go meal. The plan is to come back later and take care of the rest.

Foxes do not kill for fun, they kill because they need to survive. An accessible chicken coop is a great way for them to stock up on food. They are simply shopping for groceries, you might say. In this guide, we want to show you some different ways to fox proof a chicken coop and keep your hens safe!

If you want some more information about foxes and their habits, check out this article.

Foxes are solitary creatures

While many kinds of animals move or hunt in packs, foxes tend to hunt alone. Though they may live in a small family group, they often like to venture out and find supper on their own. This only adds to their cunning and makes them all the harder to catch.

Foxes are nocturnal creatures

Are you afraid of the dark? These furry red creatures are not. While we sleep at night, safe in our beds, our chickens safe in their coops, (we hope), foxes are out prowling around. Foxes have great night vision, and this gives them yet another advantage over us. They hunt sometimes in the wee hours of the morning and late in the evening so chances are, you’re not going to catch many glimpses of them trying to catch your hens for breakfast.

Foxes are cunning creatures

“Sly as a fox” is not a popular term for nothing. Foxes are known for their cunning and their ability to maneuver their way around traps set for them. Even the well-trained hound is no match for the cunning of a wild red fox. A fox hides well and can even climb trees. Don’t think you can catch a fox or trap them easily. It’s better to focus on making it impossible for the fox to access your chickens.

How Do I Deter Foxes from My Chickens?

So, the question is, how do I fox proof a chicken coop?

Increase Visibility Around the Chicken Coop

An important factor you may want to keep in mind is to increase visibility around your coop. If you have brush or trees hiding your coop, it will be an invitation for a fox to find breakfast. While this won’t completely prevent foxes from attacking, it will make them uncomfortable if your coop is not surrounded by brush and is easier to see. Foxes don’t like to be out in the open and will hesitate if they aren’t able to find a good place to hide.

Install a Motion Sensor Light for your Coop

A motion sensor light may work wonders to protect your chickens from a sly fox. Foxes are easily scared and will run if a light pops on, but be sure to install the light so it won’t be triggered by your chickens. This is certainly more difficult for free-range chickens but having lights in the right locations could save your flock.

Get a Large Dog for the Property

If you don’t already have a dog on the premises and are looking to fox proof a chicken coop better, consider getting one. Foxes can smell dogs on the property and won’t be as likely to come around if they sense the dog has already staked claim to the territory. Keep your dog somewhere close to the chickens so that when it barks, the foxes will run. Just be sure your dog does not gain an appetite for your hens or you might have another problem!

Repel Foxes with Certain Smells

If you want an easy way to deter a fox from your chickens, this may be helpful. Foxes have a strong sense of smell and using scents on the property that they find repelling may be a good way to keep them away. Foxes especially hate the smell of the following:

• Garlic
• Cayenne pepper
• Vinegar
• Strong essential oils
• Other animal urine

How Do I Fox Proof a Chicken Coop?

While there are ways to deter a fox from wanting to visit your property, sometimes it seems as if the only way to keep them from accessing your chickens is to fox-proof your chicken coop. Foxes can be determined creatures, and they may work hard to find their way into the coop. Consider all possibilities of the entrance, and don’t underestimate their abilities.

Add a Fence and Run

Anybody with chickens understands the need for the chickens to get fresh air, especially if they are tucked inside a safe little coop for the night. Unfortunately, foxes see these happy chickens in the yard as tonight’s supper strutting around on two legs. The first step is adding a fence around the chicken coop to protect your flock from a fox.

Many chicken farmers make the mistake of building a fence only a few feet tall, assuming a little red fox can’t clear the top and won’t bother trying. False. If there’s a will, there’s a way. And there’s definitely a will. Building a strong and tall wall is one sure way you can fox proof a chicken coop.

If you want to be extra safe, you can add wiring to the top of the outdoor chicken run so that even if the fox finds its way up the fence, it will be deterred by the covered run.

Use Strong Metal Wiring

Chicken wire may not be enough to keep your predators out, though it may successfully keep your chickens in. Consider using hardware cloth, which is made from a stronger gauge metal than chicken wire. Another popular option is to use dog kennel fences as the wire for your chickens’ coop. Foxes may chew through a thin wire and can squeeze through holes that are only 4” wide. Make sure the wiring is not large enough for them to sneak through. Be sure to use extra reinforcement where the wire paneling connects to prevent foxes from finding a weak spot or sliding through.

Strong fencing like hardwire cloth will do more to help you bear-proof a chicken coop as well.

Build Fences that are both Tall and Deep

Foxes can jump a standard fence and are known for scaling high walls and fences. If you think your fence is high enough to keep them out, you might want to think again. Though they only jump about three feet, they use their claws to climb higher, up to 6 feet. Be aware of objects like trash bins or even trees next to the fenced area that may provide easy access to the coop as well.

Build your fence at least 6 feet high to be safe, and consider designing it to curve outward from the pen, making it harder for a fox to scale it at such an angle. Of course to be completely safe, and to protect your coop from other predators, you may want to think of designing a fence with some type of roof or netting that completely closes in the coop.

If a fox can’t scale a fence, he’ll consider digging under it. This is often the first way a fox will get his way into the coop. For this reason, it is important to dig the fence into the ground at least 6 inches. This will make it much harder work to dig under the fence.

How Do I Fox Proof a Chicken Coop Door?

Hopefully, if your fence is built securely around your chicken run, you won’t need to worry about fox-proofing your coop door too much. Depending on what kind of coop you have, you might not have much outdoor space for your chickens.

Whether you have a secure outer fence or not, it’s important to be prepared if that fence were ever to be compromised. It is risky to have a simple opening as a door for the coop your chickens roost in. If a fox were to get through your fencing, he would have an easy feast.

But who wants to worry about opening and closing the coop door all the time? If you are getting tired of letting your chickens in and out of their coop every day to run around, there is a solution for you.

Invest in a Smart Pet Auto Door

What if I told you that we have a coop door that is automatic and predator-proof? (yes, that means foxes as well). The Smart Pet Auto Door is a heavy-duty door designed to protect your chickens from predators and is one of the best methods to fox proof a chicken coop. It comes equipped with a timer you can set, so you don’t have to constantly worry about opening and closing the coop. This door does it automatically for you.

The auto door moves slowly and won’t cause any danger to your hens, as it features a safety sensor. If you are tired of getting up in the morning to let the chickens out and want a great way to fox-proof a chicken coop without the extra work, this is the solution for you.

We offer a standard automatic door with a timer and a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth unit that you can control through an app. Our doors come with a full 1-year warranty and a 4-year prorated warranty. Provide your chickens the protection they deserve, and consider a Smart Pet Auto Door.

If you already have a door that works well for your coop, you have the option to make it automatic with our DIY kits. These kits are available in three different lengths, to fit the size of your door. Our DIY kits are a great investment for your coop and will save you time and energy.

We also offer solar coop doors that include the solar kit so you can go environmentally friendly with your coop! If you live in a sunny location and want to do your part in using renewable resources, give our solar chicken coop doors a try.

Extra Tips To Fox Proof a Chicken Coop

We’ve covered a lot of things, but some subjects can never be covered in entirety. Let’s discuss a few more ways that might help you fox proof a chicken coop, so you’ll feel equipped with the knowledge you need to keep your feathered friends safe. If you just bought a chicken coop and need some more information on essentials for your coop, check out our blog.

Consider Using Guard Animals

As odd as it sounds, guard dogs may not be the only animals that can guard your flock. Donkeys and llamas tend to both be very territorial animals and will do a good job standing guard for the chickens. Though they may not be so concerned about the chickens as they are their territory, the result is still the same.

Llamas especially are hardy animals and can be trained to be gentle with other livestock and farm animals, while at the same time, being aggressive with unknown predators. While this may seem like an odd method to fox proof a chicken coop, it may be an easy fix especially if you already have llamas.

Mix up your Flock of Birds

While chickens tend to be docile and pretty helpless, geese are not. Mixing in some geese may benefit the safety of your flock. Though geese may be seen as prey to a fox, they do not act like prey. Geese are not afraid to fight back and may put up a pretty formidable resistance against intruders.

Regularly Check up on the Conditions of your Coop

Neglect to keep an eye on your coop may bring you serious regret. Regularly, (weekly, maybe daily), check up on the coop, and look for possible breaches. Also, keep an eye out for chicken feathers or dead chickens of course. Foxes may be sneakily stealing chickens away without your knowledge, so it doesn’t hurt to keep a tally of all your chickens to make sure they’re not being slowly whisked away. If you don’t check for signs of a fox or predator entry, you may wake up some morning to your whole flock being pillaged!

Get a Rooster to Protect your Flock

While having roosters might not fly very well in the city,( pun intended), they shouldn’t be a problem if you live in the country. Roosters are fiercely possessive and will do their best to protect their ladies in the coop. Before you jump ahead and get a rooster though, think about the breed you want and do a bit of research.

Don’t Leave Food Outside

While it’s easy to do, leaving food outside overnight is an easy way to attract predators. Consider a no-spill feeder and be mindful of leaving scraps of food lying around the chicken run. A little extra work will go a long way if it means protecting your hens from foxes.

Conclusion

Do you feel like you have a bit more knowledge on how to fox proof a chicken coop? Now that you know a bit about who you’re fighting against and how you can win, you can go on your way, armed with the knowledge that you can outsmart the slyest animal and protect your hens how you want to.

Foxes are unfortunately only one of several predators that would love access to your coop, so if you want some more information on how to predator-proof your coop from other nasty beasts, check out our blog on the other predators your chickens may have to face.