I've only read through a few pages here to get the idea of what has been said so please forgive me if I'm repeating anything.
We had a fox problem two years ago when a female red fox took up residence under a neighbor's vacation home and raised kits there. Neighbor lost their whole flock while we were constantly finding remains of chickens other than our own in our pasture and around our pond. We had no losses. Run is chain link, coop is clad in metal siding/door with a solid pop door that is closed and locked each night with a carrabiner clamp. The big thing is that I have my coop and run hot wired. I found fox tracks around the coop in the solf mud but there was not one incursion into the run or coop. The run is covered with deer netting. Also, I do not free range, although this summer I am going to allow some old girls and rooster out in the yard under supervision.
So 1) hot wire your run. Initial cost isn't cheap but it pays for itself in no time flat.
2) keep your birds in a run until the threat has been contained and get a good dog to run your property at night and during the day. We had an Australian Cattle dog that kept our varmints at bay. He became ill almost three years ago and died last November. When he was no longer able to run the property, we had the insurgence of fox in our area.No wild animal wants to risk confrontation with a tough dog in which it might get injured. Injured is dead in the wild animal world. It's not necessary to have a guard dog, even a little yapper will do the job during the day.
3)contact your local conservation department and ask them for help. I finally did. Their response? Rural Missourians have rifles by their back doors. It's pretty much SOP for around where we live as there are coyotes, raccoons, possums, skunks, cougar and bobcats to be found not to mention timber rattlers and copperhead snakes. If we saw the fox and could get a shot at her or her offspring, take them out. We were told that it is almost impossible to trap fox with a live trap and the only way to trap one is with a foot snare trap which we did not want to use. Any animal that takes livestock is considered a nuisance animal here and farmers have a right to protect their livestock.
I hope these suggestions help you. Unfortunately you have to remember that chickens may be considered backyard pets, most consider them to be livestock and if you have livestock, you are eventually going to have dead stock. Still you can cut those loses to a minimum if you predator proof your surroundings to the best of your ability.
Good luck. Hope you can rid yourself of the offending fox.
PS.If you are not abject to trapping you might be able to find a local trapper who would jump at the prospect of setting traps on your property and catching the fox for you in exchange for the pelt. The reason we didn't want traps is because we have dogs that run free and we didn't want them to get snared.
We had a fox problem two years ago when a female red fox took up residence under a neighbor's vacation home and raised kits there. Neighbor lost their whole flock while we were constantly finding remains of chickens other than our own in our pasture and around our pond. We had no losses. Run is chain link, coop is clad in metal siding/door with a solid pop door that is closed and locked each night with a carrabiner clamp. The big thing is that I have my coop and run hot wired. I found fox tracks around the coop in the solf mud but there was not one incursion into the run or coop. The run is covered with deer netting. Also, I do not free range, although this summer I am going to allow some old girls and rooster out in the yard under supervision.
So 1) hot wire your run. Initial cost isn't cheap but it pays for itself in no time flat.
2) keep your birds in a run until the threat has been contained and get a good dog to run your property at night and during the day. We had an Australian Cattle dog that kept our varmints at bay. He became ill almost three years ago and died last November. When he was no longer able to run the property, we had the insurgence of fox in our area.No wild animal wants to risk confrontation with a tough dog in which it might get injured. Injured is dead in the wild animal world. It's not necessary to have a guard dog, even a little yapper will do the job during the day.
3)contact your local conservation department and ask them for help. I finally did. Their response? Rural Missourians have rifles by their back doors. It's pretty much SOP for around where we live as there are coyotes, raccoons, possums, skunks, cougar and bobcats to be found not to mention timber rattlers and copperhead snakes. If we saw the fox and could get a shot at her or her offspring, take them out. We were told that it is almost impossible to trap fox with a live trap and the only way to trap one is with a foot snare trap which we did not want to use. Any animal that takes livestock is considered a nuisance animal here and farmers have a right to protect their livestock.
I hope these suggestions help you. Unfortunately you have to remember that chickens may be considered backyard pets, most consider them to be livestock and if you have livestock, you are eventually going to have dead stock. Still you can cut those loses to a minimum if you predator proof your surroundings to the best of your ability.
Good luck. Hope you can rid yourself of the offending fox.
PS.If you are not abject to trapping you might be able to find a local trapper who would jump at the prospect of setting traps on your property and catching the fox for you in exchange for the pelt. The reason we didn't want traps is because we have dogs that run free and we didn't want them to get snared.
