Fox problem

[pelicanchook]

Every year around this time I have a few chicken come up missing to a fox. Just a few hours ago I lost my first chicken of the year to a fox. I did lock all the chickens up and will keep them locked up for now. I haven't had a fox in the coop yet and don't want it to happen. Do motion sensored lights help keep them away a night? I have to work tonight and thought about getting a few to put up in the morning if it will help. I do have 3 chicken friendly dogs that do a good job at keeping them out of the yard, but my coop is right next to the wood line. Any help would be great.

I have been keeping chooks for 10 years now, and even though I live in a rural area, with my coop backing onto a very dry flood plain, I have never had a fox incursion into the coop. I use Night-Guards fixed around the perimeter. I first saw them on my daughter's chicken coop in LA, and imported them into Australia when I set up my chook pen. Don't make the mistake of buying cheap versions on line, they are fraudulent and useless. Nite-Guards are solar powered and last for years in my Australian very hot dry climate. Check them out on the web - I wouldn't use anything else, despite the high price I have to pay to bring them into Australia.

 

[wild chick]

Electrics are best in my humble opinion. I have used them for horses for more years than I care to tell. My coop & run is inside a horse paddock, about 1/4 acre, which is chain link and 2 x 4" wire fence. On the outside of that is a 5 strand electric fence, the lowest wire about 5" above the ground for diggers and the highest is about 4' for climbers. This surrounds the horse paddock from outside predators. The run is a 6' chain link dog kennel covered on top with 2 x 4 wire fence and then on top of that is plastic "chicken wire" shape fencing. I live surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest and have zero losses at night when I shut the run door. I've had two chickens lost in 3 years in day time when they free range, one was to neighbor dogs, the other at dusk, probably fox or bobcat, but we will never know. But none were within my night time Fort Knox.

 

[dregnery]

Perhaps not politically correct but when I saw a fox trying to get into my my coop, i just shot it. It's a lethal solution but permanent.

 

[lcarpenter1]

Every year around this time I have a few chicken come up missing to a fox. Just a few hours ago I lost my first chicken of the year to a fox. I did lock all the chickens up and will keep them locked up for now. I haven't had a fox in the coop yet and don't want it to happen. Do motion sensored lights help keep them away a night? I have to work tonight and thought about getting a few to put up in the morning if it will help. I do have 3 chicken friendly dogs that do a good job at keeping them out of the yard, but my coop is right next to the wood line. Any help would be great.

 

[lcarpenter1]

Lots of good advice in the responses. Moving your coop away from the trees is a good idea. However, a secure run surrounded by a good fence is a great defense. I recommend 6' horse fence if you have the space. Stretch aviary net over the top to keep out predator birds. A sliding door is a good idea, especially if you put an automatic opener/closer on it.
Regarding live traps: if you decide to trap the predator, be prepared to terminate it. Many states prohibit relocation of nuisance predators. If you don't want to kill it, you are better off building a secure place for your birds.

 

[Crazy Chick Nana]

Best thing I ever got was a motion activated sprinkler!! I have it set to night mode only, it has been the only thing that has kept all predators away.

 

[Crazychickenlady76]

I have had problems with b

Every year around this time I have a few chicken come up missing to a fox. Just a few hours ago I lost my first chicken of the year to a fox. I did lock all the chickens up and will keep them locked up for now. I haven't had a fox in the coop yet and don't want it to happen. Do motion sensored lights help keep them away a night? I have to work tonight and thought about getting a few to put up in the morning if it will help. I do have 3 chicken friendly dogs that do a good job at keeping them out of the yard, but my coop is right next to the wood line. Any help would be great.

I have had Bears and fox getting my chickens and after a few time we have learned that electric wire works great. Run electric wire around the bottom of coop on the outside the bring it up to the middle of coop and run it all the way around then run one more near the top.then run some on the roof of your coop as well. The pug it into charge and leave it on at all times.
I did this and have not had any more issues and have all my chickens in that coop. Well worth doing.

 

[two j farm]

Maybe you don't have the right kind if dogs...

My dogs do very well at keeping things out of the yard for the most part. We have never lost a chicken in the coop to a fox only when free ranging. The other day when the fox did get a chicken in the woods the dogs ran after it when they seen it.

Love your dogs very pretty.

 

[two j farm]

I have been keeping chooks for 10 years now, and even though I live in a rural area, with my coop backing onto a very dry flood plain, I have never had a fox incursion into the coop. I use Night-Guards fixed around the perimeter. I first saw them on my daughter's chicken coop in LA, and imported them into Australia when I set up my chook pen. Don't make the mistake of buying cheap versions on line, they are fraudulent and useless. Nite-Guards are solar powered and last for years in my Australian very hot dry climate. Check them out on the web - I wouldn't use anything else, despite the high price I have to pay to bring them into Australia.

I did see these online but wasnt sure if they work well.

 

[johny]

1/4 inch welded wire.... 1 foot wide.... buried 1-2 inches underground.... from right under main above ground fence to 1 foot away.... no diggers will be able to get in.. raccoons, fox, coyotes, wolves, badgers, dogs, cats,

Above ground, as long as you have 2x2 welded wire almost nothing will get in except rare weasels like mink (in you are close to water), martens(if you live in Northern Canada).
Even bears won't waste time getting in. They do not care about chickens, they only would want the food so keep it in the coop and not in the run.