Fox spotted

[LittleMissCountry]

So my husband saw a very skinny fox hanging out near our chicken coop this morning. He opened the door and it ran into the woods behind our house. Our coop has a hardware cloth apron around it. Other than digging, is there any other way the fox would try to get in? The coop and run are covered.
I guess we are going to have to have the girls in the portable pen for a while and not free range, either, unless we are right out with them.
We are worried not only about the chickens but also about our two outdoor cats. The fox is very skinny, so it is either very hungry or possibly has babies. Hubby didn't get a close enough look to see if it was a nursing mom.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd keep everyone inside for now to avoid mayhem. It's difficult to live trap foxes, and they will visit often. Consider adding electric fencing!!!
Mary

 

[WthrLady]

Being out there with them isn't a perfect deterrent. I had a fox run AT me while I was working in the yard WITH the birds and snatch a chicken that was 5 feet from my feet! They don't care you are there if they are hunting for food, or starving, or hunting for their kits. They'll take the risk.

I prefer the 9 cent solution.

 

[aligarysmom]

I am finding electric fences that people have seem to be a good deterrent to climbing devils. I would put one in if we lived out in the country. That bottom and top line stops digging and climbing. Quite amazing how it keeps things out of peoples yards. I look at some set ups and think that’s not secure??!! But they live in fox coon and coyote territory and haven’t lost even one chicken. Impressive! Good luck

 

[Folly's place]

A few years ago we had a sick mangy fox kill ten nice laying hens one afternoon, while they were free ranging. A workman next door saw it happening, and did nothing!
That fox returned the next day midafternoon to get a body, and we couldn't get a clean shot at him. I alerted all the neighbors, and kept my birds in, until a neighbor 1/2 mile away was able to shoot the poor guy. He ignored our live traps.
Don't underestimate the possibilities here; keep your birds safe.
Mary

 

[WthrLady]

Foxes are really hard to live trap. They smell the panic urine from past uses of the trap and avoid it. I clean all my traps with oxine after use, and when baited again, make sure the traps are well hidden, like natural landscape, and sprayed with scent and musk when I walk away.

I also put up snares for foxes as they develop a hunting habit path like mice and set it up there.

 

[cmom]

The white wire is electric. I also have cement under the gates because I had a fox dig under a gate and kill several birds. all of my pens are also covered because I have a couple of open coops and an owl got in and killed several birds. I have game cameras up. This is a grow-out coop and pen. Primarily in the springtime I have heard critters connect with the wire. Once they know it's there they don't come back to test it out again. I have accidentally touched it and it has my heart skip a few beats.

The end coop is the one both the fox dug under the gate and the owl got in. I put the tarps up.

 

[aligarysmom]

Cheap chicken wire and hot wire fence. I have seen this work. Seems to me that can save month on the fencing material and buy a hot wire electric fence and come out ahead. I think this is what I will do when we get to a large property.

Love people that share their ideas.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Thank you to everyone that replied. I did not realize that a fox would come up while we were out there with them! We will have to just use the portable pen for awhile and keep a close watch. It isn't dig proof, but I don't put them in it unless we are home. I will keep them close to the house as well.
We have considered electric fencing, but the coop/run they are in now is not going to be permanent. I was planning on building next year. Can the wiring easily be moved?
We were not planning on trying to trap them, as it would be more likely to catch the cats than the fox.

 

[True Patriot]

There are some fairly good solar powered electric fences on the market. Being solar charged they don't require running power to the location. The insulators screw to the posts and are reusable. The wire can also be reused. For portability there are electric horse Corral's available that consist of insulated stakes, wire or tape, and a portable control box. They can be set up and running in about 15 minutes and take about as much time to move.