My first Fox attack that ended in a kill

[Mygirls20]

My poor poor Snow White (My daughters named her) I had just adopter her and was trying to get her healthier. This stupid fox started coming by night before last attacked one of my other chickens (she is recovering and I hope she makes it) But tonight while giving my kids a bath Snow White got grabbed through a hole the size of a silver dollar and was killed before I could get to her. I am so upset I dont know what to do. I feel like I have failed my flock and didnt provide them with the perfect safe home. Also this stupid Fox is still circling my house even though I have shot him about 9 times with a bb gun even let my 150 pound dogs out to chase him off. What should I do to make him go away for good???

 

[abbaschickens]

I would concerned he is not ballsy but has rabies or some other disease. It is not normal for a fox to approach.

 

[ivan3]

Mygirls20

Also this stupid Fox is still circling my house even though I have shot him about 9 times with a bb gun even let my 150 pound dogs out to chase him off. What should I do to make him go away for good???

Sorry about your poor chook (as was mentioned - might get her revenge as bait).

The Red Fox is only `sly' up to the point of biting down on the prey. A taste of poultry, in particular, often makes them go `blood simple', i.e., suicidally brazen in effort to secure the prey. This fixation of purpose, paints the offenders into the bullseye (4/10 or .22 will suffice). Any, unusual behavior (chasing you or kids instead of poultry - sketchy gait, odd vocalizations, etc.? Assume Rabies, and shoot it again - wear gloves/scub hands when.after handling vermin).

If you're in rural area you might consider looking for cache site/usual `runs' along fence lines, etc. Snares are useful if the behavior is understood. Just use Advanced Search/Posts: "fox AND hunting".
Electric fencing/hardware cloth are useful. Armed, supervised free range time is required, at some locations.

A pair of Red Fox took-off 13 SLW pullets, from our neighbor's yard, in the space of 15 minutes. I found the cache site(s) just inside our woodline, about 150yd. to the Northwest of `grab'. The den was another two hundred yards to the North of cache site (grand daughter likes the tails).

Good luck!

 

[Mygirls20]

You can try a hot plate. Hook up a sheet of metal to a car battery. And put it in front of the coop where he is sure to circle around and see how he likes stepping on it. That cage sure does bite back.

good idea thanks lol I think I can actually manage that one.

 

[Shellz]

Interesting that you ask that. I just did that! I have 3 roos to 10 hens (bad ratio, I know! Working on that!) small bunches of different breeds. Now 1 good rooster should be able to keep about 8-10 hen's eggs fertile. If you want eggs from 20 hens to be fertile, get an additional rooster. The roos may need to be separated though. Not always, but sometimes. In short, as long as you're not selling & claiming purebred, there's no problem with that. Mutts are great! Hybrid vigor & all that! So I have some mutts in a brooder right now from hatchery stock parents. None of the chicks are pure, & that's what's so much fun! You don't know what you get, & they will grow & feather out to whatever! The fun is in watching them grow. If any have debilitating deformities, well they don't get to breed. So far my chicks appear perfectly healthy. I have 3 more due Saturday. Yay!

 

[Shellz]

Some great chat here! We have 18 acres out here, so no problems with neighbours. Anymore. Started just having some pullets for eggs, then it just snow-balled from there! There is no such thing as cheap meat, that's for sure! This is all just for fun, & knowing more about where our food comes from. Working to become more self sufficient. We do like our technology though! I started with an LG incubator & egg turning tray. It is a still air unit. Pretty basic, but it is tricky to stabilize heat & humidity. I'm early retired, so I'm able to monitor it throughout the day. With my next (& hopefully last) chick order, I ordered a new Hovabator Genesis incubator. Just plug in, add water and eggs & done! So I've heard. It will be my back up in case I don't get a broody hen this year. Yeah, butchering can be tough at first. It does get easier & more efficient the more you do it. It is so worth it to us! Flavour is great! My birds have a fantastic life until that day. A traffic cone is used to hang them upside down. They seem to relax in this position. A good sharp knife to slit the throat, & they barely know what's happening. They bleed out quickly & quietly. Very humane, or I wouldn't do it. I prepared myself for this journey by watching lots of YouTube videos! They helped! Besides, we spend enough money raising them, there's no one nearby to do it for us. We built a Whizbang plucker last year. Best thing ever!!! We did 24 birds over a weekend. They are loosely bagged and aged in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, then vacuum sealed & stored in the big freezer. Extra roosters make fantastic coq au vin! So yummy! There's my 2
pennies for now!

 

[Shellz]

This is Canada here, so our laws may be different from yours. We are confident in that we do everything 'by the book'. I have even had an official or 2 from the MNR on our property to inspect our shooting range, and such. Anything I say here, I can say back on my local forum. We have nothing to hide. I will refrain from posting pics here, so as to not raise any eyebrows! I don't want to be starting any arguments here. You can SSS, or be cognizant of your area's laws. Whatever you post, just be aware. Better safe than sorry, I say!

 

[Mygirls20]

Thanks steamroo Its hard for me I am a red blooded american republican woman and sometimes I get to carried away with trying to prove my point to people I am usually very nice and will brake my back trying to help someone. But dealing with people like this just frustrates me and makes me feel horrible. As I said earlier taking that foxes life was not a fun thing for me to do

 

[Melabella]

May I add my 2 cents? GET YOURSELF AN ENGLISH SHEPHERD! You'll never have to worry about wandering, protect what is masters till the end. Herding qualities rivals any herding breed, and protect, protect, protect. My dog will also follow me out on horseback, and stay with me at all times. What ever you teach it to do... it'll do! Sometimes called English Shadows, they will be right by your side while you work, keep cattle off master, same with moving geese, chickens, pigs. etc. They are what you make them. Also have a turn off switch. My dog will round the girls up at night, and put em in the coop for me...

 

[Shellz]

Sorry for the loss of your Marans. Foxes have been my biggest enemy so far. They are clever & brazen. If you can, get another dog. I have 2 mutts. My lead dog goes off in one direction towards a threat & the other stays close to the house & flock. I got lucky, that these dogs didn't need much in the way of training. Now that I can trust them to stay off the road (no fence), I have had 0 losses this year. Haven't even seen a fox yet, like I used to.

Last year, hubby set himself up to hunt one. He got camo on and sat with his back to a tree in the yard near the last fox attack. He used a cottontail in distress mouth call & called it in. Within 5 minutes, a fox comes trotting along 8 ft in front of him. He didn't get the shot because he had the wrong gun for the job. He didn't expect fox to come in that close. If only he had the shotgun. Oh well. The point of calling in a predator, is to get them in close. Use a shotgun or crossbow when calling in & you shouldn't miss. Best of luck on your next shot!