How To Keep Foxes Away From Your Chickens, Hens, And Roosters

As winter’s icy grip tightens around our homesteads, many of us are cozied indoors with a warm cup of tea. But you know who isn’t hibernating? Our clever friend, the fox! These resourceful predators are active during the cold months and might view your chicken coop as the perfect drive-through dinner spot.

A sly fox sneaking around in the rural barn.

But don’t worry. We’ve covered your feathered friends with proven methods to keep them safe and sound!

10 Ways To Keep Foxes Away From Chickens

Let’s dive into the essential strategies to keep your flock safe all year round.

1. Secure Housing – Elevated If Possible

Elevated chicken coop in a snowy backyard.

Think of your chicken coop as Fort Knox with feathers! A well-built coop isn’t just shelter – it’s your first line of defense. Elevating your coop 2 to 3 feet off the ground is like giving your chickens a fortress-like treehouse, making it much harder for foxes to break in. Add a sturdy lock to your coop door – foxes are surprisingly clever and might try to figure out simple latches.

Add hardware mesh skirting around the base of an elevated coop, extending outward at least 12 inches to prevent foxes from jumping up underneath.
Always double-check to ensure your coop is secure before retiring for the evening. We don’t want nighttime visitors sneaking in – like coyotes or raccoons!
Use galvanized screws instead of nails, and check them monthly for rust or loosening – foxes can exploit even slightly loose boards.

The peace of mind from a well-built coop extends beyond just chickens – your ducks, quail, turkeys, and other poultry will all sleep soundly in a predator-proof palace.

2. Strong Fencing

Building a sturdy chicken coop in the backyard.

Here’s where many chicken keepers learn the hard way – foxes aren’t just crafty jumpers but Olympic-level diggers, too! While a 6-foot fence might seem like overkill, it’s perfect. The game-changer is burying that fence deep underground. Think of it as creating an underground fortress wall.

Add an outward-facing L-shape at the bottom of the buried portion for extra security – it’s like giving your fence an underground safety net.

Add a 45-degree angled top section to your fence facing outward to prevent climbing.
Use cattle panels or stronger gauge wire at the bottom 3 feet of your fence, where most fox attacks occur.
Space fence posts no more than 6 feet apart and concrete them at least 2 feet deep for maximum stability.

While we focus on keeping foxes out, these robust fencing systems have the added benefit of protecting your flock from everything from wandering dogs to curious coyotes. This investment pays off in countless ways.

3. Use Hardware Cloth Instead Of Chicken Wire

A chicken coop with tight chicken wire fence or wire mesh.

Let’s bust a myth right now – chicken wire isn’t fox-proof. Hardware cloth is your best friend here. Yes, it’s pricier, but consider investing in chicken life insurance. The tiny, welded mesh squares are virtually impossible for predators to break through.

Overlap the hardware cloth sections by at least 6 inches and secure them with U-nails every 4 inches.
Use stainless steel hardware cloth in coastal areas or regions with high rainfall to prevent rust.
Want more security? Add hardware cloth “curtains” that can lower over coop windows during high-risk periods.

Chicken wire fencing is better than nothing. But hardware cloth is superior, stronger, and will make it nearly impossible for a fox to wriggle through.

4. Motion-Activated Lights

A motion sensor light with solar power function.

Foxes are like teenage troublemakers – they prefer to work under cover of darkness. Motion-activated lights are your nighttime security guards. Position them strategically around your coop, especially near entry points. Solar-powered options are great for remote coops without electrical access.

Position lights at fox eye level (about 18 inches high) for maximum startling effect.
Use red or blue lights instead of white – they’re more disturbing to predators and don’t seem to disrupt chicken sleep patterns as much as white light.
Create overlapping coverage zones, so there are no dark spots a fox could exploit.

The unexpected bonus? These security lights help you spot other nighttime visitors like owls and deer. It turns your chicken security system into a fascinating nocturnal wildlife window!

5. Install Game Cameras

Motion sensor camera strapped around a big tree.

Want to know who’s prowling around your coop at night? A game camera (or trail camera) is like having a 24/7 security guard who never sleeps and takes excellent photos! These handy devices can reveal when foxes visit and their preferred entry points and behaviors.

Position cameras 3 to 4 feet off the ground and angle them slightly downward to catch the best predator activity.
Use infrared cameras instead of those with white flash – they won’t startle your chickens or alert predators to the camera’s presence.
Install several game cameras with overlapping fields of view for complete coverage – predators often circle a coop looking for weak areas.

Game cameras provide fascinating insights into local wildlife. You might discover a vibrant nocturnal world you never knew existed! Watch nighttime owls hunt mice and deer nibble on fallen fruit. It’s a handy security system that doubles as an entertaining nature documentary!

6. Remove Attractants

Tidy and clean chicken coop on a small egg farm.

Your chicken coop area should be as dull to a fox as an empty restaurant is to us. Store chicken feed in metal containers (plastic ones are just fox puzzle toys). Position your composting station well away from the coop to prevent attracting unwanted visitors – chicken waste and food scraps can be an irresistible buffet for foxes, raccoons, coyotes, and other clever critters.

Create a 3-foot gravel perimeter around the coop – it’s uncomfortable for foxes to walk on and show their tracks.
Install drain pipes that carry the coop washing water well away from the chicken area.
Use herb plantings like lavender and mint around the coop – they mask the chicken scent and are unpleasant to foxes.

There’s old farming saying: “A clean coop is a safe coop,” – and generations of successful chicken keepers have proven this simple wisdom true.

7. Guard Dogs

An epic great Pyrenees dog sitting in the backyard protecting the chicken flock.

Don’t go in alone. Recruit a doggy helper! Great Pyrenees dogs are champions of chicken coop protection. These gentle giants are professional fox deterrents on four fluffy legs, equipped with the perfect combination of imposing size and thunderous bark.

Being stealthy opportunists, Foxes prefer to avoid detection – and one booming bark from a massive Great Pyrenees usually sends them looking for a more leisurely meal.

Introduce your guard dog to the flock as a puppy if possible – they’ll grow up seeing the chickens as their family.
Create elevated spots around the coop where your guard dog can survey their domain.
Rottweilers, Border Collies, Akbash, Belgian Malinois, Tibetan Mastiffs, and Anatolian Shepherds also make superb chicken guard dogs.

The bond between the Great Pyrenees and their flock is genuinely magical. These dogs take their job so seriously that they’ll often sleep right next to the coop, creating an impenetrable fortress of fur and faithfulness that no fox would dare challenge.

8. Regular Checks

Homesteader watching over her chickens in the backyard.

Make coop inspection part of your daily routine. I like to do the “predator walk” – walk around your coop looking for any signs of attempted break-ins. Check high and low, and remember that a tiny hole today could be a fox entry point tomorrow.

Create a checklist and map of potential weak points to check daily.
Take photos of repairs to track degradation over time.
Test fence tension monthly – I’ve seen a sagging gate or fence reduce effective height by over a foot.

Think of these daily inspections as your chicken meditation time – a quiet moment to connect with your flock while ensuring their safety.

9. Always Supervise Their Free Ranging

Happy homesteader watching her chickens forage in the yard.

This one’s tricky because we love seeing happy chickens scratching in the yard. Consider supervised free-ranging during mid-day hours when foxes are least active. You could also create a covered run area – think of it as a chicken-screened porch!

Create rotating between multiple smaller free-range areas to prevent grass degradation and improve visibility.
Schedule free-range time after 10 am and before 4 pm when fox activity is lowest.
Want more security? Consider portable electric netting for temporary secure-ranging areas. (You can find these on Amazon. It’s expensive, but it offers peace of mind.)

Finding this balance between freedom and safety might take time, but watching your chickens foraging within their secure space makes it all worthwhile.

10. Community Awareness

Start a neighborhood fox watch! Connecting with neighbors about fox sightings can create an early warning system. If everyone in your neighborhood uses good chicken protection practices and cuts off food sources, foxes are likelier to move on to greener pastures.

Create a group text chat for immediate predator alerts.
Share trail camera footage to help identify individual foxes and their patterns.
Coordinate feeding times with neighbors – synchronized feeding can reduce predators’ time in the area.

When communities work together to protect their flocks, they often share more than just predator alerts – they share eggs, advice, and friendship.

Conclusion

The best way to protect chickens from foxes is to think like a fox and a farmer. Be clever, be consistent, and always stay one step ahead. Your reward? The peaceful sound of contentedly clucking chickens! You’ll also feel satisfied knowing you’ve created a sanctuary where your flock can thrive. Now that’s something to crow about!

What about you?

Have you ever found mysterious tracks in the snow or dirt circling your chicken coop?
What’s the cleverest fox behavior you’ve witnessed around your homestead? (These crafty creatures might surprise you!)
Do you have any suitable chicken protection methods that we forgot to mention?

Thanks again for reading.

Have a great day!

How To Keep Foxes Away From Your Chickens, Hens, And Roosters