daylight fox attack

[Ang]

Fox will hunt day or night. However, I have only had fox attacks during the day. They will wipe out your entire flock and cache whatever they don't eat that day for later.

 

[rcentner]

I am sorry about your loss. have been there myself, it's tough to rebuild a flock after such losses.
Fox are called crepuscular hunters (cats are too), meaning they most actively hunt the few hours surrounding sunrise and sunset. I learned this after losing 7 chickens is 1 morning to a fox. Thing is, I learned, that if you have 1 fox, there are more. If you kill one and continue to free range unattended, you will likely lose more. Also, Call for your chickens, we had 1 return the next morning. Use a familiar sound. We have these critter alarms we use at night to deter predators (and lots of other stuff), my husband sounded the alarm the next morning and one came running home.
I only free range when I am actively watching my chickens, I learned that chickens in runs are better than dead chickens. I had a perfectly healthy flock that were all due to be at peak egg production right now, lost to my stupidity. I don't blame anyone who does free range despite the dangers, but I can't handle losing my pets to such things. I live in the woods and those things will continue to happen if I let my guard down again. Good luck

 

[ivan3]

erinm wrote: 30 chickens in one day sounds like something other than a fox. Fox hunt to eat not for sport. They take their prey and leave. Sounds like a dog to me?

The OP found 8. I'm assuming 22 are gone.

Our neighbors had 13 SLW pullets `removed' from their yard in less than 15min. by a pair of reds. The wife had gone inside to cut up grapes for the chooks. The foxes cached/tore up the chooks about 150yds away under a couple of cedars (I found nothing but piles of feathers two days after the attack). I simply started a spiralling search through the woods. Found the den ~200yds from the cache site (dug at the base of a big, dead, hickory), and burnt it out.

We took 18 Red foxes during 2007. All but 4 were shot, the population has yet to rebound. They are quite brazen, if they've tasted chook and you've caught them at it get your rifle and wait for a half hour, they'll be back. Better yet, supervise free range time with a rifle handy.​

 

[Keara]

I (the OP) lost 9 in total, found the 4 remaining hens later in the garden who were pretty nervous. I really think he was killing and cashing, I've found 3 hidden bodies so far. And I'm finding new bits and pieces in areas I've alread looked, like he's been coming back each night and digging them up and dropping wings and feathers along the way.

I am planning an A-frame daytime run in hardware cloth

 

[BayChicks]

Around here it's usually coons at night (although daytime will suit them too, but in the day they usually eat feed and eggs. I have one in the live trap right now!) and foxes in the early morn, late afternoon.

 

[TCollier]

Fox will hunt in the middle of the day if they have young and a good food source. They will take advantage of any opportunity they can.

Tom

 

[marilyn1954]

Foxes could care less about humans! We have a dog boarding kennel, an antique shop and a Uhaul dealership on our property, People everywhere and just chased off a fox 50 feet
from my free ranging chickens! Only Saw him because a 9 year old picking up his dog with his mother saw him! Got them in their run now, but fox with those razor teeth will probably get in throu gh the chicken wire, now i have to hope the chickens SCREAM LOUD when he comes back

 

[Chickbodyguard]

Time to begin a hi-tech approach to assist in deterring predators...

https://www.quirky.com/invent/1228333/action/vote/query/view=trending&categories=all

This invention is in the works. Please review it. You may also profit from it's sales if it is developed.

 

[roosterhavoc]

If you can stand the noise they make guinea fowl work pretty good at sounding the alarm. Although they have me running outside for nothing most of the time. A few weeks ago it had just stormed and the guineas were making a racket. I look out the back door and there at the edge of the woods is a fox not more than 10 ft from three guineas screaming at him. Free ranging with the rifle handy is sound advice though, I've shot a few like that. Fox are the worst in late winter/ early spring when they pair up. Then you will have a mess. Also the best time to hunt them.

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

I have a stupid question, a fox killed one of our chickens today. I picked it up to remove it. Now I am worried about the possibility of rabies. My husband says I am being silly. The fox didn't look like rabid animals I have seen before, (ex. skunks that stagger around during the daylight hours). I thought foxes were only out at night and that had me worried but it seems that is not so from what I am reading here.