Leonard Bartlett
Foxes are very cunning animals and if they intend to do something, it’s very difficult to prevent them. Since they can jump up to 3 meters, jumping the fence and entering your yard won't be a problem for them. In addition to being able to jump high, with the help of sharp and strong claws they can climb up to 6 feet also, foxes use a variety of objects to make it as easy as possible to climb to the target area. Now that you know how foxes can easily climb fences, you need to protect your yard better from these predators, especially if your pets walk freely in the yard because you don’t want them to become fox food.
What do we need to know about foxes
To "defend" yourself from these enemies, you need to get to know them better. The fox is a medium-sized animal, resembling a dog in appearance. They feed on meat and are excellent at finding prey. With the help of claws, foxes climb various surfaces, but claws can also be used for digging. Foxes mark their territory with feces. When they appear around your yard, the fox will stay around it only temporarily or until they do what they set out to do.
I want to prevent the fox from entering the yard. How to manage that?
First, we need to ask ourselves, what attracted the fox to want to enter your yard? The answer is very simple: food. Try to eradicate and get rid of anything that could serve the fox a quick dinner. If you have a pet in the yard or perhaps chickens, secure them additionally, especially at night. We advise a solid hut or wire mesh to enclose the animals so that the fox won't be able to harm them. In addition to huts, you can use cages, barracks, and light sensors to defend against foxes, and the best way is a fence. You can fence the whole yard or just the part you want to protect.
Which fence to choose
There are countless types of fences and when choosing, focus on what you want to protect with that fence (or who), whether you only need a fence to defend yourself from foxes or other predators, how to maintain the fence, and the budget you have, also consider when choosing a fence.
Electric fence
A great idea to protect your chicken is an electric fence. When the fox touches this fence, the shock won't kill it but it will certainly scare it so the fox will no longer try to touch your poultry. After a while the chickens will start to avoid the fence and will get used to it while the foxes will not know what awaits them even though they are cunning, foxes are very timid animals. How does this fence work? The animal touches the fence and feels the contraction of the muscles due to the electrodes and the fur serves as an insulator. The only thing you need to be careful about is that there is no short circuit between the fence and the grass. Electric fences are the most expensive but also the most effective method of protection.
Wire fence
This type of fence is a great way to prevent foxes from digging and thus crawling among the chickens. Bury the wire fence at least 50 cm below the ground. Other animals will also find it difficult to get through the fence, not just foxes. Additional insurance is if you also make a wire roof so that no one can enter your chicken coop on either side. Try to make the poles steel and the wire 1 cm thick so that predators cannot bite it. This is the cheapest method and in addition to being convenient, you choose the size you want to enclose as well as the shape. While an electric fence is used primarily to protect chickens, you can use a wire fence to protect larger animals.
Tin fence
A high tin fence is a great obstacle to the fox. The slippery surface prevents foxes from climbing and the height should be such that the fox cannot cross it (more than 3 feet). If you want to protect rabbits that roam freely in the yard, this is the best choice for you and not just for rabbits, this fence will protect all the animals in your yard from all kinds of predators.
Conclusion
Yes, foxes can climb over the fence and can jump over it, and to reach the goal more easily, they will use all available objects such as buckets or trees. Other than a fence, if you have dogs or cats in the yard, foxes might give up on the plan and instead of fighting your pets, they will choose some easier way to get to the prey. In other words, they will look for dinner elsewhere. With a fence, dog, or cat, and with the regular removal of food debris, your yard should be unattractive to foxes.
