Straw bale trick saved my flock from a fox attack last week

I live in rural Oregon and lost two hens to a fox back in March. I tried everything to secure the run, hardware cloth, dig barriers, the works. Then my neighbor suggested stacking straw bales around the outside of the coop walls. He said the foxes can't burrow through the dense straw because it collapses on them. I was skeptical but gave it a shot two weeks ago. Last Tuesday morning I found scratch marks all around the bales but no tunnel underneath. My girls are safe and the straw breaks down into compost over time. Anyone else use farm waste for predator proofing instead of spending 100 dollars on metal? Has this worked for you too?

2 comments

2 Comments

piper_lopez17d ago

Foxes will just climb over those bales when they get wet and settle.

jessica_dixon17d ago

Guess I'll just have to stack 'em higher and hope my back holds out.