Dang Fox!

[suebee]

I'm in NC too....east of Raleigh. I free range silkies and so far never have seen a fox, but my neighbor just informed me one walked right up her driveway last week. Now I'm getting paranoid. I have 2 Golden Retrievers that protect my chickens so maybe the fox stays away because of their scent. What area are you in?

 

[Redcatcher]

I just went through the same thing. Only this fox quit taking just one chicken at a time. One afternoon it came back and attacked my entire flock all in one go, killing only one or two and mauling several others. For several nights after that, it was leaving body parts under a large maple tree. One day I would find a wing, another day it was a leg, and then another wing.... At the time I was not sure what I was dealing with. I started a thread about it. The leg was pretty rotten and sat for 3-4 days in the scorching sun before it finally got eaten. By then, I was keeping the chickens locked up so there was no chance of a fresh kill unless it went elsewhere. Obviously the rotten leg was not the food of choice, but, hey, the fox figured it was better than starving. I successfully trapped and killed it the night before last with a humane leghold trap. The jaws are lined with rubber so it does no real damage to the leg yet has a good hold of it (IF you wanted to relocate it). It may take a few days for the fox to get good and hungry again so you have to be patient.

 

[oliviad51]

I'm in stanly county...not too far away from Charlotte.

 

[WilsonAcres]

Fox are conniving little things.. they learn your daily patterns very quickly! Since you already know where its trail s coming in and out of id set the trap there and wait.If its hunting during the day thats when it see's your chickens as most vulnerable.It could be that it has a late season batch of babies. We're going through the same thing we know where our fox comes through our property but their hunting perimeter is so large it's hard to actually track it down to its den. Until you catch it Id change up the daily routine or even keep the chickens up for a few days if ya had to.Good luck catching the thing! keep us posted!

 

[Redcatcher]

Quote:
Precisely. If your chickens are locked up at night and out during the day, that is when the fox will come. It also knows when you leave and when you come back if you have a daily routine (most people do). I had good luck setting the trap near the chicken house, right where the killings took place.

 

[beaks&paws]

Sorry to hear about your chickens

 

[Ole and Lena]

Is it a grey fox or a red fox. Greys are hard to catch in a live trap, Reds are almost impossible. They are very claustrophobic. Once it is conditioned to an easy meal, It will not quit until the meal ticket is either inaccessable or all gone.

As much as we all love our chickens, I have a soft spot for foxes. I do trap and hunt them in season, but I would never condone eliminating or relocating one prior to September and condemning their pups to a slow starving death. If you are successful in trapping it and it's a male, no problem. If it's a female you may need to secure your birds until it's humane to move or dispatch your killer. Foxes aren't evil, they're just doing what foxes do. Also remember that if you relocate a poultry killer, you are just passing your problem on to someone else with chickens.

If you have a red fox, your best bet might be adding a rescue border collie to your operation. Most will adopt all your livestock as their own once you train away the initial BIRD-CHASE-EAT instinct. Our golden retriever pup is coming along nicely. He still mouths the birds a bit but will not bite them. Also likes to help herd them into the barn and he's getting really good at finding and flushing the birds that try to roost in unauthorized locations at sundown. He's learned not to chase or jump at the flush. Good pheasant training. Even the scent of a dog, especially a male, around your property will help somewhat in deterring canine predators.

If you want to trap a red fox, you will almost certainly have to go to a #2 coilspring foothold in a dirthole or flat set. TThis trap will also hold a coon or even a Coyote if firmly staked and checked regularly. They make a rubber jawed version that will require some advanced animal handling skills if you want to live trap and relocate. Bait with a commercial canine lure.

 

[Ole rooster]

I think you will have to take on the mindset of deer and turkey hunters. And put up the shotgun and get a rifle. Go in with the mindset you are on a hunting trip and stick it out all day if you need to. Pick a shooting spot, get comfortable, and wait. He or she will show up. You be ready. One shot one kill.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Agree completely. If the trap won`t work, pm me. I`ve got a solution........Pop

 

[slappy flock and swap]

pork crackling works to