ALL SHOOK UP!! FOX CHASING MY DUCKS!!

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Dances with Ducks

Dances with Ducks

Songster
11 Years
Sep 28, 2008
1,668
37
161
Central Northern Front Range, Colorado ;)
They are OK! THANK GOD! Just by chance or the grace of God I was there when it happened! It's so amazing because I have become complacent by leaving them out after dark, they seemed fine. We have a six foot privicay fence around our backyard. Who knew a fox could jump it! I just happened to go out a little earlier than usual just to give them some extra veggies. I was adjusting the blankets on their house when I saw them bolting like crazy and a fox running at them. I screamed loud and shrill without even thinking and it ran off around the front of the house. But IT CAME BACK FOR A SECOND ATTACK from the other direction - one BOLD B-ST-ARD!! I screamed again and it took off the other way. I quickly rounded up the ducks, they were sooo ready to get into their house! THen the thing showed up walking accross the top of the fence! I never in my life wished I had a gun before. Not the way to go, I know, but the things that go through your head! I picked up a rock, knowing I wouldn't be able to hit it, but oh I wanted to! It jumped down and dissappeared.
Please excuse my poor french but I am mad!
Ya, I know, that's what foxes are supposed to do, and it's absolutely my fault for allowing such a close call. There will be some real adjustments made around here!
 
Hello, glad you ducks are safe! The fox will probably be back (he saw food). We had a fox attack in May. I had 4 Silkie babies and 4 ducklings that I hatched out in the coop. They were 6 weeks old. The fox was all over the coop. (I wished I had a gun at that time too). I grabbed a small can of tomato sauce and actually whacked it in the head. It let out some shrill noise and ran away. Woke up in the morning to an empty coop. Nothing but feathers. It dug under the coop, through rock etc. So keep an eye out.. I now have an electric wire around the base and covered the whole bottom of the run with chicken wire. Good luck! I now have a rifle BB gun, so I will be ready next time.. no more tomato sauce!
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Their heads are harder than you think.
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I couldn't believe I hit him.. I was about 25 feet away. But your wood floor should be ok. They are persistent diggers. I couldn't believe how deep the hole actually was.
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So upsetting! I cried for 3 days and swore I kept hearing them in the woods.. Made my hubby crazy. I had to tell my 3 kids they dug a hole and ran away. Its fun to see the fox get zapped on the electric wire.
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It has not come back since the electric wire incident. It knew I meant business this time (who knows if it was the same one) but I hope it tells its friends and family..
 
The electric wire set up was not that expensive. Go to havaheart.com. Its an easy set up. Hubby did it for me so I don't know the details but it took him less than a half hour. I have my wire about 3 inches off the ground. Its mostly to stop predators from digging under. They can still jump on top of the coop, but can't get in that way. It gives a nice little jolt. I have been jolted quite a few times when it was first in place. My kids got zapped too, after repeatedly telling them to unplug it first. No marks left. So its pretty safe I think. I have not seen one ounce of dirt moved around the whole coop in almost a year. A week after we installed it, I saw the fox through my window jump on top of the coop, then it went to the floor to dig.. then ZAP !! It must have flew 10 feet in the air. I haven't seen it since. It was funny. Just be careful though that the ducks do not come in contact with it (especially when wet). I noticed the ZAP is much stronger when my hands are wet. Not pleasant! Good Luck! It is devastating to lose birds. But we all learn from our mistakes..
 
Thanks Chickie Mama, that is encouraging!
Right now I've put my ducks in a back bedroom, with heavy plastic on the floor. The window is open so they won't get too used to being warm. I'm thinking through what further accomodations I will need to make.
That was a very brave and persistant fox to run into our backyard twice and come within five feet of me. I researched a lot last night and discovered they do come back in the daytime sometimes, so I'm not taking any chances. I'm thinking of getting a live trap just for this guy, but I want to create some kind of fortress with electric wire and hardware cloth. It's just a shame because they are so used to free-ranging all or part of my backyard. From now on I think that will have to be limited to when someone is with them, and after this one particular fox is caught.
 
I have an open large pen that they all go in now. The wire runs around the perimeter. Its still open so I am always looking outside to make sure there is no trouble. I would love to have them free range, but here in CT, we have coyote's, foxes, and I have seen hawks too. So free range is out of the question. We are going to make a large enclosed run (covered) so I don't have to be so paranoid. Godd luck again..
 

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