After Losing Four Birds Caught This Guy

[HEChicken]

After this incident, I researched foxes a little and what I read was that they will go on a killing spree and then bury what they can't eat immediately, to stash it for future meals. Since I interrupted him (I think) the first time, he didn't get to carry off and bury the dead birds. Two bodies I never found and I assume he carried off or ate those.

 

[centrarchid]

I have grey and red foxes. Apparently only the latter goes after my chickens. It does not take more than a medium size dog to repell a red fox, a smaller dog will do against a grey fox.

 

[3 irish boys]

Foxes are bad news. Just last night my cat ran a red fox off our property. He was staring into my hens' run and she went flying right after it growling.

She thinks the chickens are hers.

Extra tuna for Cornelia last night!

 

[aprophet]

Foxes are bad news. Just last night my cat ran a red fox off our property. He was staring into my hens' run and she went flying right after it growling.

She thinks the chickens are hers.

Extra tuna for Cornelia last night!

be careful I have watched a pair of red fox tear a cat in half . the fox in the pic appears to be a juvi there will normally be 2-3 more juvis and a pair of breeders close by the juvis here are still running with Mom

 

[Stumpy]

There are so many rabbits and squirrels,but I know our hens are easy pickings.

I wish there still were lots of rabbits here. Coyotes have moved in and just about wiped them out.

 

[GoodwinMaine]

Something got 3 of our girls last night, still light out... we thought they may have roosted in the trees (for the first time) we looked and look and looked This morning there were piles of feathers from our barred rock, no sign of the other two. They are tiny little bantys and presumably gone now. DH is bummed. We have tried so hard to keep them safe, but want them to be able to free range as well. We are thinking fox as there was nothing but feathers left behind. Little bastards, we love those girls.

 

[Greyfox Farm]

We call our spread "Greyfox Farm", but that doesn't stop me from protecting the "girls" from them if they get too close. They ARE gorgeous creatures and I have watched the kits play in the woods and fields around the farm. I don't free-range our flock and the coop is a pretty-well hardened target so I have yet to have a problem with them. I'd hate to kill one, but if they become a threat...lock-and-load, bye bye fox.

 

[Cochaura]

Our flock free ranges when they are outside too and love it. Unfortunately, we lost our buff cochin Roo and five easter egger hens a month ago to something - it was half our flock and probably would have been more if we had gotten home any later. It was a stormy night and unfortunately no way to get home until shortly after dark. I feel so guilty because they were all inside roosting where they usually feel safe, and we couldn't get home in time to shut the door right away. We think it was coyotes because you could see their trails, where they laid with piles of feathers, and they marked inside the coop. We also think the action was interrupted, because our beautiful white easter egger hen was found intact, minus her head on the septic mound She was the only one found that night. The remains of our rooster were way out in the field stashed in the tall grass. After the fact, I read that coyotes like to hunt during storms - our mistake for thinking they would be ok because most animals hunker down in a bad storm. We were devastated, but decided to let our broody hen incubate all the eggs laid the few days after the incident and a friend's daughter incubated some of the eggs we had in the fridge for a few days from before the incident along with a few black orpington eggs from a local school. It worked and we now have 19 little chicks running around with momma - she took them all in! All ours have furry feet like their 'dad'

One thing I read that can help deter predators is having a radio on by their coop with the station turned to talk radio - the human voices help keep them away. I have also heard that windchimes can help as well. We are going to try both of these. For now, I don't let the hens out before work anymore and have someone open the coop door midday. Momma hen and chicks are out only when we are home and outside to help keep an eye on them. This may sound strange, but I've had my boyfriend do his own 'marking of territory' outside the coop to deter them as well.