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Rabbits and foxes in the garden...

L

louise and Gus

Wise Old Thumper
I have a fox who visits my garden, my bunnies are in a hutch and run until I get an aviary up and I have added an extra layer of mesh and have security lights. I’ve set up an remote camera and the fox doesn’t seem to come to the patio where the bunnies are so I’m pretty sure they are safe. But it made me wonder how many others know they have regular visits from foxes and what measure do you take to keep bunnies safe?
 
louise and Gus said:
I have a fox who visits my garden, my bunnies are in a hutch and run until I get an aviary up and I have added an extra layer of mesh and have security lights. I’ve set up an remote camera and the fox doesn’t seem to come to the patio where the bunnies are so I’m pretty sure they are safe. But it made me wonder how many others know they have regular visits from foxes and what measure do you take to keep bunnies safe?
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The reason I wont keep any of my Rabbits outside is because of the huge Urban Fox population.They are determined and fearless. Aside from a solid concrete structure set-up I just could not feel I could keep outdoor Rabbits safe. I cant even leave a back door or ground floor window open unless I am in the room. You may recall that many years ago I lost a House Rabbit to an Urban Fox who came in to my house via a Kitchen window. I never want to witness anything like that again :cry:

Sorry, as usual I've gone off on one there. But I am even more neurotic than usual about Foxes :oops: Infact as I type there is a Fox sitting in my front garden calling . Needless to say my Bunnies are all stressed out and Morse (Dog) is wanting to go and play with her............

I am sure someone more helpful will be along later to offer some Fox proofing suggestions !
 
We had a fox den in the neighbours garden.
The Fox used to sleep on top of the chicken coop and rabbit coops. We just double meshed and secured runs down.

The odd thing... the Fox did at one point attack the ferret cage. Never got into the cage but did manage to rip a ferrets leg off through the bars. (Ferret was much happier on 3 legs). We quickly double meshed that cage. Never expected the Fox to attack a group of them.

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Surrounded by fields here so I assume the foxes get plenty of food there.

I've only seen 1 fox in the front garden in the years we have lived here but saw plenty of them when we lived in a more built up area and lost a bunny to a fox.
 
You can't be too complacent regarding foxes. They are opportunists so you must be ultra secure where the rabbits are concerned. I have heard countless stories from people who have lost bunnies to foxes, nearly everyone I have spoken to who have had a rabbit has lost it or one of them. Luckily I have never lost a rabbit to a fox, cat etc, .
 
We had foxes regularly visit the garden at my parents', but once they realised the rabbit wasn't easy pickings (lots of people left food out for the birds and foxes in the area) they didn't bother with him :) He was in a run-hutch setup and the run was homemade, very strong and (single-)meshed with 1"x1/2" weldmesh. The magpies were worse for him!
 
I no longer have buns however from the off set we decided they would be house rabbits.Our garden couldn't be made bun proof,shared garden for a start.It could be seen from two sides from the street.we were more worried about two legged "vermin",to be honest.We have urban foxes,I feed them now,they visit every night.We did make a run in the garden for supervised time,Rio made it very clear he'd rather be inside snoozing on the carpet than out on wet grass etc.:D
 
Sorry I have nothing to add really but Doughnut is a house bunny but once when she was in her run and I was indoors I looked out, as checked on her every few minutes, a fox was sitting looking at her, right up to the bars. I chased it off but she was absolutely petrified, making a noise I had never heard before, like a sobbing sound. I bought her in and was stroking her to calm her down but it took a while and she continued to stamp and "sob" for a while. We have a lot of foxes around and now I don't put her in the garden unless I'm in the garden too.
 
I have seen foxes in our garden occasionally. The trio are in a solid wooden shed with a bolt on the door, two heavy metal hooks and a lock, the shed is two levels and 10 x 8 foot and they have no outdoor access. It's on concrete so it can't be dug under and the floor is proper solid wood, not plyboard. Even a person couldn't get in unless they had a saw or punched a window in.
 
I think the location and fox population is an important factor. The fox I have seen is timid and looks in great condition, so not hungry and is obviously having quite a comfortable life. I think the more urban the area the less afraid and more persistent the foxes are?
I’m taking the risk very seriously, as I said I’ve put and extra layer of weld mesh on the outside and secured with wooden batons...and it’s on concrete.
I’m hoping to get an aviary up soon so that will make me feel better!

Oh Jane of course I remember what happened to Jacks brother (was it Rowan?) :( :( horrific :(
 
louise and Gus said:
I think the location and fox population is an important factor. The fox I have seen is timid and looks in great condition, so not hungry and is obviously having quite a comfortable life. I think the more urban the area the less afraid and more persistent the foxes are?
I’m taking the risk very seriously, as I said I’ve put and extra layer of weld mesh on the outside and secured with wooden batons...and it’s on concrete.
I’m hoping to get an aviary up soon so that will make me feel better!

Oh Jane of course I remember what happened to Jacks brother (was it Rowan?) :( :( horrific :(
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Yes, his name was Ronan :cry:

Urban Foxes are more tame than the local pet cats. Made worse as some people insist on feeding the Foxes and actively encourage them into their house.
 
Sorry Ronan :( :( I can understand that would leave you very nervous of them.
I think the gaming of them is the issue isn’t it..the one in my garden took flight at the sight of me in a window so not tame luckily!
 
Whilst I accept that urban foxes will be tamer, don't underestimate a hungry rural fox. We have had a fox grab one of our chickens, which it fortunately dropped, after being chased by me, and she was relatively unhurt. However, after a short while and when we were standing very close to the chickens, the fox returned and attempted to grab another one :shock:
 
Omi said:
Whilst I accept that urban foxes will be tamer, don't underestimate a hungry rural fox. We have had a fox grab one of our chickens, which it fortunately dropped, after being chased by me, and she was relatively unhurt. However, after a short while and when we were standing very close to the chickens, the fox returned and attempted to grab another one :shock:
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My Canadian friends have the same problem with coyotes :S
 
I had a similar experience except by the time
I ran out I had seen my rabbit promptly run up and bite the fox on the nose through the run. Fox never came back... I was more stressed than the bunny apparently.
 
I have one rabbit living outside currently, in a large hutch which is also temporary planning to get an big run with a roof constructed at my new house. Very worried about foxes - currently where I'm staying there's a fox den at the bottom of the garden, they're very tame don't seem to be bothered about me (live in urban area) I'm a very light sleeper and the rabbit hutch is down the side entrance near my bedroom window, so a few times at 3am I've heard him thumping rushed out there and they've been near but not trying to get him. I'm hoping when I move that I'll be able to give them 24hr access to the run I'm gunna get built but have to see, may have to shut them in at night, they'd be more secure that way.

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I don't have bunnies any more :( but Alfie and his various wives lived outside for almost 9 years in a kennel/run - you'll have seen my set up, Lou.

We regularly have foxes passing through as the house backs on to fields and there's a small nature reserve a short distance away but there were never any events that made me overly fearful for their safety (although of course, I took all the standard fox-proofing precautions - secure mesh, locks, the set up was on patio slabs etc). If anything, on the odd occasion when I saw a fox come up to the enclosure, they always seemed very wary & more curious than anything - the rabbits would scuttle off into the enclosed area and the fox would scarper because of the noise.

Having said that, a neighbour across the road lost a rabbit a few years ago to a fox but it was in a normal hutch so I'm wondering if maybe it saw it as less of a challenge.
 
I decided to break the cycle once we lost Lola and Alfie was battling ear abscesses. :( We 'borrowed' him a wife, Muffin, so that he had company for however long he needed and she went back to her original owner and is now living with another bunny.

We looked after a bunny for a few mths in spring/summer as her owner was in hospital for a long period but I've now sold my kennel and run so that I'm not tempted to fill it lol!

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