Dead Chickens...have a suspect.

[animalspooker]

Yesterday morning I got up to let my chickens out at daylight just as I always do. Went back in and had my coffee. 2 hours later I go out and find a line of feathers across the front yard, but no chicken and no blood. I am definitely missing 2 birds. They free range during the day and get locked up at night. Now I have trouble with coons and possums, but they only take my eggs (occasionally a baby if I have them). I trap/remove them on a regular basis. I also fight chicken hawks, but have them spooked of me at the moment.

Now for my suspect!!! Last Thursday (4 days ago) I saw a fox about 100 yards away from the house sniffing around a pond. Went back in to get my gun but he had high-tailed it before I got back out. Next to the hay field, so he didn't have to run far to get out of sight. I have a strong feeling that this is my culprit. This morning, after letting the girls out, I walked around and watched for it from inside the house...I look really mean, stalking around in my underwear carrying a rifle. No wonder it didn't show up.

My question is this: Is there a good fox trap setup that might help me to catch him. I have snares, live traps, jaw traps...you name it. I'm ready to get this thing, I just don't know how to go about it!

 

[morganalefae]

Well a good start is to make sure you can trap them with the items you have you don't want to be smacked with a fine or charged with animal cruelty specially if your jaw trap is the one I'm thinking of. Check with local laws and contact animal control if you have not done so. You could contact a pest removal company as well.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Good morning.

I agree it was likely the fox.

Can I figure since your running around in your undies wielding a gun pop)... that when you say remove the coos and opossum, that you actually dispatch them and NOT relocate them?

I know some of my neighbors have caught a fox in their live trap, also first thing in the morning. Chances are your fox was back but watching from a distance. I would try the live trap followed up by a lead dinner. Though I have no personal experience with fox or other predators YET, my day is coming as I live in the beautiful PNW surrounded by the redwoods.

Sorry for your loss. Hope you get that sucker.

 

[Dearchery]

OK so I do a lot of traffic and foxes are extremely smart. Since foxes just had their litter of pups and once they have zoned in they are going to keep coming back. I had a body zip tie a chicken as live bait to a tree and it was able to draw out several call you switch he was able to take care of I know that sounds harsh, but his entire quail population was destroyed

 

[Chickens 4Ever]

We catch our fox and kills them, we've only seen a opossum on our game cam, there is actually a fox in our yard every night, my cat fought it once. Luckily survived, just scared it will my fox next. We plan on trapping our, also if u kill the fox we might get another, once there is a fox in a territory there will be more

 

[morganalefae]

I'm going to say it again make sure you check your local laws. I get foxes are a pain but to encourage killing them is quite frankly wrong and disgusting. Just because you see it don't mean it killed your chicken unless you see it in you coop, run or with it bird in its mouth and blood on it.

 

[DuckLady]

As always, make sure that you are following laws in your area regarding dispatching wildlife. Some are protected and killing them can result in heavy fines.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm going to say it again make sure you check your local laws. I get foxes are a pain but to encourage killing them is quite frankly wrong and disgusting. Just because you see it don't mean it killed your chicken unless you see it in you coop, run or with it bird in its mouth and blood on it.

It's true that everyone should check their local laws.

I'm sorry you feel it is wrong to kill a predator that has been stalking (at the very least) your own animals. If there is a fox around it won't be long before your chicken coop/yard becomes their favorite dining spot. Yes they will return to the scene of the crime until your whole flock is gone. And if you saw it and saw it running away directly after your livestock came up missing, that's pretty compelling evidence to me! If you see it and it hasn't yet made it in, they will be back to try. If you wanna wait until your flock is dead, your choice. In Ca (one of the most liberal states I know of. where they are anti gun) It is legal to kill an animal (that's unprotected) that is on your property and causing issues (which it is). In *some* cases it is even legal to track down and kill said predator, though that wouldn't be my personal choice.

I agree that it's true when you dispatch one predator, others *often* move in. And foxes play a role in keeping rodents and other things under control. But as I see it, letting your kids come out to find your flock mutilated or their favorite chicken missing isn't much less cruel.

If YOU aren't willing to protect your livestock/pets as is YOUR responsibility then you shouldn't have them.

I will suggest a few alternatives to killing for good measure.

1. motion activated sprinklers *might* deter them.
2. Electric fencing or netting are very effective and easy to use/install. Except chicks *might* slip through the bottom where it is not usually hot.

Note. I don't know of any location where it is legal to relocate an animal. And if you consider doing pleas remember you are dropping it off in an unfamiliar environment in another animals territory where it doesn't know where to find shelter/water and may have to fight for it's life. As well as possibly leaving it's family behind (which I know can happen with dispatching). Aside from the damage it can cause to your livestock, you never know what its carrying, fleas, ticks, rabies...

Either way, for me (within the law) their own place, I leave them alone... My place, they are unwelcome intruders and will be treated as such.

One other thing that I previously would not have mentioned is the 3 S's... Shoot, shovel, shut up! The less people know the better.

 

[morganalefae]

I have foxes running round where I live in the UK. Thus far none have come to take my chickens. Even if you see one it does not necessarily mean it's stalking any of your livestock it could just be passing through.

I'm originally from CA and only saw foxes or coons etc when I lived in the mountains and they were not any real trouble for my family they mostly came onto our canvas porch and ate root beer flavoured candy they found. While I agree on protecting live stock I don't agree with just killing a animal that may not have done anything other then wander through. Ppl should try non-kill methods to deter predators and as a last resort dispatching the animal. To many ppl jump to kill it and some even talk about using cruel methods cuz they are sick and twisted.

If your going to dispatch it at least make sure it's quick and there are no cubs in the area (even let neighbours know) after you do the deed so the cubs don't suffer .

 

[morganalefae]

It's true that everyone should check their local laws.

I'm sorry you feel it is wrong to kill a predator that has been stalking (at the very least) your own animals. If there is a fox around it won't be long before your chicken coop/yard becomes their favorite dining spot. Yes they will return to the scene of the crime until your whole flock is gone. And if you saw it and saw it running away directly after your livestock came up missing, that's pretty compelling evidence to me! If you see it and it hasn't yet made it in, they will be back to try. If you wanna wait until your flock is dead, your choice. In Ca (one of the most liberal states I know of. where they are anti gun) It is legal to kill an animal (that's unprotected) that is on your property and causing issues (which it is). In *some* cases it is even legal to track down and kill said predator, though that wouldn't be my personal choice.

I agree that it's true when you dispatch one predator, others *often* move in. And foxes play a role in keeping rodents and other things under control. But as I see it, letting your kids come out to find your flock mutilated or their favorite chicken missing isn't much less cruel.

If YOU aren't willing to protect your livestock/pets as is YOUR responsibility then you shouldn't have them.

I will suggest a few alternatives to killing for good measure.

1. motion activated sprinklers *might* deter them.
2. Electric fencing or netting are very effective and easy to use/install. Except chicks *might* slip through the bottom where it is not usually hot.

Note. I don't know of any location where it is legal to relocate an animal. And if you consider doing pleas remember you are dropping it off in an unfamiliar environment in another animals territory where it doesn't know where to find shelter/water and may have to fight for it's life. As well as possibly leaving it's family behind (which I know can happen with dispatching). Aside from the damage it can cause to your livestock, you never know what its carrying, fleas, ticks, rabies...

Either way, for me (within the law) their own place, I leave them alone... My place, they are unwelcome intruders and will be treated as such.

One other thing that I previously would not have mentioned is the 3 S's... Shoot, shovel, shut up! The less people know the better.

I never said it was wrong I said it was wrong to encourage ppl to do so. If someone had done all they can with no kill methods then I get this is a last resort but most ppl when hearing/read it might/is a fox it's automatically kill it followed by some who say do it quick and others who like to basically torture the animal. One person running round some place in the forms on another post basically said shoot it (the fox) with a bb/pellet gun if that dont kill it infection will. I find that horrid