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A Fox Visited Last Night

fluffiebunnie

fluffiebunnie

Warren Veteran
Was woken up at about 3.30am by my daughter last night saying she was hearing strange noises from the garden.. her bedroom is at the rear and mine is the front so hadnt heard anything.

We heard thumping, and then strange scratchy noises, so we flicked the floodlight on and could see the end of the garden with Pickle/Pootle accommodation and all was quiet... we were about to turn the light off when we saw a fox :shock::shock::shock::shock: It was walking down from Twinkle/Sparkle's accommodation towards the end of the garden and jumped up onto the run of Pickle/Pootle and was digging trying to get in..

We ran downstairs and out into the garden to scare it away.. which it did, but left me and my daughter quite upset and scared... Luckily the fox couldnt get in, and all bunnies are fine this morning, but it has shocked me.

Think I kidded myself they couldnt get in because all fences are 6ft. Never seen one in the garden, so just kept telling myself they didnt come in... now I know different :(

How many nights have the bunnies had to go through being "hunted" in their own homes?? They must dread nightfall :(

I have padlocks on every opening, have double mesh on one of the runs and covered over, and the other run is boarded over of a night but I still worry.

I will get some better quality boarding today as I was planning to make better night time doors for the runs anyway so will just speed things up a bit.

Is there anything else I can do?

:(:(:(
 
:shock: Oh my gosh, that must've been horrible and it'd make you worry no matter how much security your buns are under I'm sure. After googling ;) there are many things, but thumbs up to 'parsnipbun' who has some good tips here!!
 
Are the runs totally secure underneath? ie weld mesh on the bottom too? If not I would lock them in the hutches overnight
 
gosh how scary, i know we are worrying now because for some reason every cat in the neighbour hood has start cutting through our garden. One was just sitting watching jack middle of day and wasnt scared when we tried to scare it off. Last night winnie was up all night cause a big black boogie cat was in garden and we couldn't calm him once he saw it.
Ive just got some of them plastic spike things so we'll see how good they are!
 
I would be petrified if I had outdoor buns. When I temporarily brought home three of the Lymington bunnies, we put my old hutch into my shed just in case a fox came. Had to take everything out the shed:roll: But they were safe.

You sound as if you have quite good fox defences in place but, as he has visited, he will be back. You need to just reinforce what you already have.
 
I too had never given a thought to foxes getting over 6ft fences until my Daisy was taken by a fox. It was my own fault as well as she was freeranging at 10pm one beautiful summers evening.

Your own setup sounds very secure.
 
I am buying external plywood today and securing the back and side of the run completely as those two sides face a wall. I will also fix doors to the sides that face out onto the garden so that they can be removed during the day, and also have doors on the top of the run that can be removed during the day. I will also put doors on the hutch part of Pickle/Pootle's set up as that had nothing against it last night as they usually spend time in the playhouse.

I am not sure what I can do on Twinkle/Sparkle's run - that is at the moment double meshed and has tarpauline over it, but would like doors on that.. will have to see if I can maybe hinge doors onto the framework..

I noticed this morning that the door to Twinkle/Sparkle's playhouse had been pulled outwards, and the padlocks (two) had held it shut thankfully.

I might look into a sonic fox deterrent too.
 
How scary. :shock: I know we have fox visitors but it still scares the pants off me when I happen to see one.

I always get worried when I see people on here who say "My garden's safe, I have 6ft fences"; I must sound like a broken record because every time I say that I've seen a fox leap a 6ft fence as though it were only 3ft or so. They are as agile as cats, but much much stronger.

Another important thing is to make sure that the bunnies feel secure - all the extra locks, mesh, doors etc are great but the bunnies don't know that they're safe iyswim. Make sure that they have bolt holes - a box, tunnel etc - to hide in so they feel more safe.
 
parsnipbun
Mama Doe
parsnipbun's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cambridge

Default Foxolutions
personally I would
1. get excellent bolts and good mesh for the hutch
2. Place hutch in large aviary style walk in run
3. Put aviary run on concrete slabs around the edge at least 2 slabs 'deep' (ie wide). Wire mesh rest of aviary run floor and then turf over the mesh
4. Put a low electricified bungee wrapped twice around the aviary run on the outside and turn on at nights (threading the same over the top if the aviary is optional but helps stop fox climbing to top)
5. Place sonic deterrants (the sort that have sensors and are designed specifically only to be a deterrant to foxes) around outside of aviary run (Yes they DO work - I have used them and have tracked the way the fox gives them a WIDE berth - but they have to be the top quality ones not just the ones that emit all the time).
6. Put high fences round whole garden with huge rambling thorny roses OR attach plastic 'prickle strips' to top of fences or walls that fox comes over,
7. For good measure spray Scoot or male urine (less easy to obtain in large quantities needed) around fenced area of garden perimeter
8. Install high power solar energy light again with detector to surprise fox

If necessary and possible add in the 'scarecrow' that sprays water again on a detection system.

If you have a small garden or hutch only faces in one direction you might also try the new 'Bright Eyes' red light diodes that have good reveiews - but I have not yet tried.

Finally - Only let buns out of aviary cages when you are IN garden, and sleep well in knowledge buns are safe.
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wow - those are great tips - thanks for pointing them out Loxxy!

Would a fox be able to open a door that has just a bolt on it?
i know my horses used to let themselves out their stables...so reckon a fox could...just wondering too if a fox could go up a ramp in a hutch or it would be too small for it to fit through?
 
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Have you thought about buying a cheap wooden playhouse from Ebay? Maybe you could put their hutches inside. Hope that helps, will be thinking of you.
 
And remember that foxes are around during daytime, too.

foxy2.jpg
 
chelle said:
wow - those are great tips - thanks for pointing them out Loxxy!

Would a fox be able to open a door that has just a bolt on it?
i know my horses used to let themselves out their stables...so reckon a fox could...just wondering too if a fox could go up a ramp in a hutch or it would be too small for it to fit through?
Click to expand...

If it is a strong bolt, it won't be able to open it, but the little ones it might be able to work out. And I am sure it would fit through the hole for our ramps, foxes are quite slim.
 
Tiabrac said:
Have you thought about buying a cheap wooden playhouse from Ebay? Maybe you could put their hutches inside. Hope that helps, will be thinking of you.
Click to expand...


They have playhouses already.

P150810_1857.jpg


This is Pickle/Pootle's place

P040710_203901.jpg


and this is Twinkle and sparkle's place.

Any advice appreciated.
 
Your setups look quite sturdy. The one thing you need to make sure of is that the run in the second photo can't be pulled away from the playhouse. I have perspex on some sides and the lid of my run, and perspex shutters against the rain and during the night. They have a big enough gap to let in fresh air. I also have some plywood shutters.

Or maybe lock the bunnies into the playhouse at night.

But if I had to buy a new setup, I would probably go for another shed. It's safe, it's dry and I can go inside and sit with the bunnies. Plus I store my hay in there, too.
 
:wave: I've got a very similar set up to both yours and next doors lurcher tried to get into the playhouse by digging at the door between the bolts. I added an extra bolt in the middle of the playhouse door so that the dog couldn't dig at the gap between the top and bottom bolts and possibly make a big enough gap to squeeze through.
 
Bavarian Bunny said:
The one thing you need to make sure of is that the run in the second photo can't be pulled away from the playhouse.
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I second this. :thumb: Is the run attached to the playhouse in some way? (you could use some hasp and staple type locks if not)

I can't see how all the doors fasten, but am a bit wary of bolts (probably being way over the top) but I just think they're too easy to open if the fox scrabbles around at them for long enough. Hasp and staple locks, with either a padlock or a carabiner clip would be safer imo.
 
Bavarian Bunny said:
Your setups look quite sturdy. The one thing you need to make sure of is that the run in the second photo can't be pulled away from the playhouse. I have perspex on some sides and the lid of my run, and perspex shutters against the rain and during the night. They have a big enough gap to let in fresh air. I also have some plywood shutters.

Or maybe lock the bunnies into the playhouse at night.

But if I had to buy a new setup, I would probably go for another shed. It's safe, it's dry and I can go inside and sit with the bunnies. Plus I store my hay in there, too.
Click to expand...

The runs are secured by huge screws to attach to the playhouses. I do feel the second setup is less secure than the first photo though overall as the run is more flimsy.. I have double meshed this run though at the side and end and on top.

Oh its all such a worry :(
 
KarenM said:
I second this. :thumb: Is the run attached to the playhouse in some way? (you could use some hasp and staple type locks if not)



I can't see how all the doors fasten, but am a bit wary of bolts (probably being way over the top) but I just think they're too easy to open if the fox scrabbles around at them for long enough. Hasp and staple locks, with either a padlock or a carabiner clip would be safer imo.
Click to expand...

Big screws secure run to playhouse..

All doors either has hasp/staples/padlock or bolt with padlock to stop the bolt moving back..
 
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