Broody chicken in dangerous situation

Suess hens

Songster
11 Years
May 4, 2008
338
1
139
Altadena, CA
That was the best way I can put my post. I have a chicken that went broody. We do not have a mature rooster, so I removed her little clutch and my fake egg from the box, but she continues to sit.
I live in California, so I have a very open area for the chickens. I have their nesting boxes on the outside, raised off the ground. The problem is I have a fox that has taken about 7 chickens from me over the past 2.5 months. We have tried trapping the fox, set up a snare, everything; but the fox lives on. At night I lock up everyone in the coop so I know they are safe. We have 3 month old chickens who I still have to move to the coop, and with the broody in the box they have taken up residence next to her. I shift her in every night, but she is not happy with me, and the first thing she does in the morning is return to her box.
Does anyone have advice? Or am I just shifting her every night for the next whatever number of days until she has decided she is done?
 
I just read the break the broody post. The only wire bottom cage I have on hand is a have-a-heart trap. That might coax that fox back in too fast! I will start searching our sheds for something else to use. She is very determined. She hasn't pecked me yet but has definitely given me stern warning to leave her alone! I will say, she use to be a pain in the butt until like 2 weeks prior to her broody state; maybe this mom thing for her made her a softy.
 
Well, with a resident fox, you HAVE to lock her up at night, or she'll be dinner. You can either relocate her to a safe place and lock her up there, where she'll continue to sit (providing she has eggs, real or otherwise) or continue doing what you are now doing, for the next 3 or 4 weeks, until she gets tired of it. After 3 or 4 weeks of no success, and you stealing her eggs, she will give up and join the hens. Or if you want chix, get her some eggs and lock her up with them. She'll do the job - it all depends on what kind of outcome you want. You decide --
 

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