Chicken gone, Culprit, and how to dispose of them and others.

[marvun22]

Ok, another Buff Orpington is missing (why is it ALWAYS them, I've never had anything else die by a predator). It vanished during the day, when I'm at work. I'm assuming it was a fox, as I have seen around 3 of them lurking around. That's not everything I have though. I have weasels (possibly, not sure), foxes, raccoons, and skunks. We know where the fox den is. My neighbor (who was in the marine for 20+ years) was going to try to shoot them at their den. I still want to know how to dispose of the coons and skunks (My neighbor shot the only skunk I think). My mailman lended me a live trap. The problem is, the cats get stuck in it all the time. I've tried marshmallows, and the cats play with them. Please, I am running out of Buff Orpingtons. Also, I'm guessing this is a no-brainer, but I probably shoudn't let them out. The chickens always separate so they have no idea that one their friends was just killed. They'll try to rush the door. Is there any type of repellent to keep foxes and coons and skunks and whatever else away. Should I let just the ducks and geese out if I could? They all hang out in the yard. They're too stubborn to only free range for a couple of hours a day.

 

[midget_farms]

different animals have different ways to catch them.

you dispose of all of them in a hole in the ground - not like we will run out of any of them.

coons & skunks normally are only out at night - or dusk - dont set the trap until after dark to catch them.

Fox has always been my daylight killer - they are flippin' hard to catch - if the live trap is too small you probably wont catch them at all.

I use a scoop of dog food in the trap for coons - works great & I catch all I go after with it. Cat food will work the same - they smell it & go right in.

a fox wont naturally go into a trap - he knows something is up. The 1 fox I've cought was trained to go into the trap - I fed him chicken wings for weeks before I could get him to go in. They are a real problem.

 

[midget_farms]

a fox will take your ducks & geese too if he gets the chance - its just what they do you can't fault them for it.

the only repellant I've heard of that really works is a big ***** dog. Get a lab or something that likes to hunt & have it sit in the yard. When a fox/coon comes around the dog will manage.

You need to be careful though the dog doesn't kill the chickens.

 

[marvun22]

This fox has no guts. He only waits until there is a chicken that wanders way out south of my barn. I put up barricades that discourage, but don't stop the chickens from going out south. The chickens figure it's not worth the trouble so they just stay in the barn or go out of the barn in north and west directions. I don't have to worry about my geese and ducks because they hang out in the yard and I have my kids home from summer vacation and they like following the ducks and geese around. The fox assumes the kids are always somewhere around them so they stay away. One time in my whole life has a fox gone and snatched something out of my yard was during the night and my birds are safely in the coop at night. Me and my neighbor (who has LOTS of chickens [50+]) are both going to try to shoot anything. All female coons in area are dead. There are 2 male that I know of. No skunks anymore, my neighbor shot the last one I know of. No hawks. I found the weasel dead this morning in my barn.

 

[Suzierd]

What about a electic poultry fence? Will that protect from fox?

 

[ccammarata1]

We have the same problem, I assume with foxes. I got a rooster, had him for about a month and then yesterday he went missing also. We have a Rottweiler and I leave her our in the yard, but it doesnt seem to work againist the foxes.