Are foxes definitely nocturnal?

[justchookin]

I live in Adelaide South Australia and have never seen a fox around here but have heard there are more in suburbia than the country due to more shelter and food availability. They are definitely nocturnal r they. I let my chooks out about an hour after sunrise (from coop to run) and they put themselves to bed at sunset.. Bit tardy on that one! Foxies should still be snuggled up?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

It's not unusual to see them during the day.
They hunt whenever they are hungry

 

[LilQtBear]

Foxes around here have been makin quite the racket around here during the night....but earlier this summer saw them running around early evening during the day

 

[kari_dawn]

Foxes are opportunistic. They will strike at any time of day or night depending on when food is most readily available. I am a wildlife rehabilitator as well as a chicken keeper (bad combination, I know, but hey, what can I say? I love animals...all sorts).

 

[midget_farms]

I see foxes all the time in the day. In fact my wife chased one off one day while it was carying off one of my hens. She got the hen back.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It's the chance you take free ranging chickens. They are so much happier out of a run foraging in grasses that a gamble of losing one here and there is worth it to me. We use flimsy green temporary garden fencing to corral our girls in, it certainly wouldn't stop a stray dog or opportunistic daytime predator.

 

[speckledhen]

I remember once going to look at a cabin to buy in Cosby, TN. The owner had a small pen of chickens. While he and DH were talking, I looked out toward the coop and realized I was looking right into the face of a red fox in broad daylight, standing next to the coop, just outside a stand of trees. Nocturnal? Not always, especially when they have kits to feed.

 

[sourland]

Fox are opportunistic and flexible in their behavior - hence very successful.

 

[ninabeast]

I've been seeing them consistently around noon, although not in my neighbourhood. It's been giving me fits!

We have a winter den here that we discovered before too much damage was done. We're filling all the holes with Great Dane poo before Mama comes back to have kits. In fact, I'm shovelling the poo (hey, it's a Great Dane) into all the brush and woods surrounding the cleared barn/chicken area. I don't want to jinx anything, but...so far, so good.

 

[ninabeast]

Quote:
That's impressive! Any video footage?