Best way to trap and kill a fox?

[Chicken crossing the road]

I prefer to free range my birds. That way they are happy and healthy. Yes I know that I will have more preds because of this. I have free ranged for three years and this is my first pred problem. I understand that you may need to keep your birds penned. And I respect that. But please be polite on this forum and respect my decisions.

Allie, sorry if you feel I wasn’t respectful or polite.
I only meant to offer a different veiw and to say more will come, you do what’s right for you! I’m not looking to argue about it as that’s now been implied.
I choose to keep my birds penned to prevent predator and rodent problems hopefully and there’s always a trade off.

 

[MarlyMonster]

As a wildlife rehabber and feathery friend owner I cringe double from this post. Sorry about your loss

But killing that fox should only be a last resort. Have you contacted your local wildlife authority? Maybe you have rehabbers near you? It’s best to try to have someone relocate the fox than killing it. After all they don’t purposely go after your flock to be a jerk, it’s just what they do. When you live in the country you unfortunately have to be okay with wildlife around. If you let me know the area you’re in I’d be happy to ask around and find you someone to help relocate the animal

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

As a wildlife rehabber and feathery friend owner I cringe double from this post. Sorry about your loss

But killing that fox should only be a last resort. Have you contacted your local wildlife authority? Maybe you have rehabbers near you? It’s best to try to have someone relocate the fox than killing it. After all they don’t purposely go after your flock to be a jerk, it’s just what they do. When you live in the country you unfortunately have to be okay with wildlife around. If you let me know the area you’re in I’d be happy to ask around and find you someone to help relocate the animal

Thank you for the offer, Marly. But I have already killed him. I didn't enjoy it and I didn't want to, but it was last resort. He ate 10 of my birds.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Allie, sorry if you feel I wasn’t respectful or polite.
I only meant to offer a different veiw and to say more will come, you do what’s right for you! I’m not looking to argue about it as that’s now been implied.
I choose to keep my birds penned to prevent predator and rodent problems hopefully and there’s always a trade off.

Thank you for sharing your opinions. Thank you for apologizing. I'm sorry that I came across defensive.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I agree and would free range if my yard wasn’t a big pile of rocks with a sprinkle of pine needles on top. I think I would try it if it was fence in, otherwise aren’t we ringing the dinner bell?
And the chickens will only be happy and healthier for the fox to eat.

I’m sure arguments could be made either way on happy and healthier and you would probably need to ask the chicken.

I haven’t seen the problems you speak of as of yet. My birds get along pretty good and I try to add things to give them new experiences. How does the free range work with a couple feet of snow on the ground?
At least with a cover secured run they have some outside time during the winter. I’m doing the DLM and don’t see that much poop on top, it all seems to get mixed in by the birds.

I just wonder why an animal that has every right to be here (sharing the planet with us) has to be killed.
Probably because we don’t know how to share!

Coyotes and foxes get a bad rap its not right in my opinion.
Some pest problems can be solved by having enough to compensate for a loss or two. And if free ranging then you might want a few extras to feed the .

Totally agree with your last statement.

Every one has their own methods I suppose. I keep about 70% of my birds penned. The rest are are loose 24/7. All of them we’re raised outside of a pen free ranging. Breed does play a big role in being able to survive so depending on what you raise your outcome might be not be so great.
I have zero issue in removing the few foxes and close to 30 raccoons I do every single year just in my yard. Each chicken to me is worth more than a fox so again everybody is a little different.

 

[roosterhavoc]

This argument would probably be best in messages.

I don’t see an argument. Everyone is voicing their opinions without issue. Thanks though.

 

[cmom]

I don’t see an argument. Everyone is voicing their opinions without issue. Thanks though.

My thought too. I live in a very rural area on a dead end road. I have a game camera out by the driveway. There is a right of way that goes along the pasture fence line. Mostly at night I get pictures of usually a fox or coyotes and now and then cats, dogs, possums and coons. It's almost like an interstate for the predators and now it's the breeding season here and we are seeing more of them during the day.

 

[MarlyMonster]

Thank you for the offer, Marly. But I have already killed him. I didn't enjoy it and I didn't want to, but it was last resort. He ate 10 of my birds.

So sorry for your loss, that’s awful
Hope next time it won’t come to this but I definitely understand your actions. It’s different when it’s someone that’s just shooting because they can, it’s another when you have no other options. My offer still stands so if I’m the future you need someone to relocate a predator don’t hesitate to message me and I’ll reach out to the rehabber community to find someone near you!

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

So sorry for your loss, that’s awful
Hope next time it won’t come to this but I definitely understand your actions. It’s different when it’s someone that’s just shooting because they can, it’s another when you have no other options. My offer still stands so if I’m the future you need someone to relocate a predator don’t hesitate to message me and I’ll reach out to the rehabber community to find someone near you!

Thanks! I will be sure to keep you in mind!

 

[cmom]

When I lost my very special bird Gladys now almost a month ago to a fox, I cried like a baby I missed her so much. I still think about her every day. Sometime over the weekend I'm going to put a couple of females in her coop that need some TLC.