Fox attack! 12 chickens dead and abandoned.

[Chick-N-Fun]

I am so sorry for your terrible loss! Bear hugs!

 

[goosiemama]

I had 11 hens 1 rooster and things seemed perfect. No predators since last season then naturally the wind picked up and a fox-or more than one fox attacked. They have climbed up our coop and gone in between the netting(mesh), this must have happened around 5:30 am as my mother was up getting ready for work she heard a weird crying sort of noise and figured it was a new type of animal. Later that morning at about 6 Mum walked down to let the horses out into their paddock, as she came back she saw what she thought was a log. This log was a Hen-our Plymouth Rock hen Hannah. Absolutely horrified she looked over and saw another hen this time an ISA brown-Scarlett. She wondered why two hens were dead. Her eyes went to the rest of the coop and there lay our beautiful Leghorn, mixes, ISA brown, plaitnum Sussex, New Hampshire red, barnevalda, and all our other beautiful hens-dead. I just want some support as my family and I are a mess. I will share some pics later. And you mark my words those darn foxes will not get any more chickens.

So Sorry for you. We had what we assumed was a mama fox take two of our ducks a couple of years ago. They were perfectly secure at night but both were taken midday. I saw the fox at the edge of our pond watching our remaining ducks who were quietly sitting in the middle of the pond as quiet as could be, so I know it was fox. It seems weird that the bodies would have been left. Are you sure it wasn't a mink or other predator? Whatever it was, I know you are completely traumatized and send you healing thoughts.

 

[Li.]

So sorry for your loss.....I have a boatload of empathy. Yes they will climb a fence. The bodies will be left for eating later. We set up trail cams and a driveway alarm at the level where they enter the coop. Weasels will create the same awful carnage.....but simply for sport.
I hope this helps....

 

[danceswithronin]

Man I'm so so sorry, you had some really beautiful birds. I usually try to take the side of wildlife as often as I can because of human encroachment, but it's always crushing when a predator takes your animals and I'd be so upset if this happened to mine.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

Oh this breaks my heart! I’m sorry for your loss.

 

[Li.]

And FYI.....our coop is on stilts with the bottom wired in. I thought they were secure. Till the weasels got in last fall. My poor chickens had no escape route. Weasels chew. The only reason we were able to stop them was by catching them in the act. A month ago, new neighbors with big dogs, took out our turkeys. I lost two guineas 4 nights ago to a fox. I have one left....a very lonely, confused girl. I’m trying to locate some older chickens who are ready to be put out to pasture, for her to have company. So far the alarm has worked well. When she goes in for the night, I check her, then set the alarm.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

sorry to hear about your loss.

i would suggest killing the fox as i highly bet it will be back for more. am not an expert with foxes (too many coyotes for the foxes to be around)
a .22lr might work i would suggest a .22mag at minimum though for a quick clean kill.

but to note it was just doing what nature was intending for it to do. kill and eat to survive.

 

[cmom]

It is so disheartening. I lost a very special hen not long ago to a fox during the middle of the day, but she was free ranging. I still beat myself up for not putting her in her pen while I was otherwise preoccupied. This happened the 1st of February and I still miss her every day. I feel your sorrow. I have had a fox dig under a gate to a pen in the past and kill several birds. I got the fox. I got this one too. They won't be killing anymore of my birds but there are always more ready to move into the territory. I do have game cameras up on my property and see them almost every night roaming around. Because of losses due to predators in the past I have electric wire around my pens and coops, concrete under the gates to the pens and heavy duty netting covering the pens. Luckily the predators haven't been able to penetrate. I used some old chicken we had processed as bait.

This is a fox at a chick/grow-out coop.

A couple of coyotes.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I am so sorry you've been having such bad luck with your chickens and your great dane. Foxes have gotten some of my chickens before too. I also had an issue where a weasel killed every single silkie I had once. I had 4, and then a mama with 3 half-grown chicks. Weasels kill for sport, so they were all left there. It's easier when the predators taken the bodies, for me. Then I can search for them, usually not find them (our property is large) and say they're "missing." Could you welcome any new animal babies into your home? It would never replace the ones you lost, but it would give you something to spend your love on. That always helps me.

I’m looking at getting some this weekend after we sort the coop out

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

It is so disheartening. I lost a very special hen not long ago to a fox during the middle of the day, but she was free ranging. I still beat myself up for not putting her in her pen while I was otherwise preoccupied. This happened the 1st of February and I still miss her every day. I feel your sorrow. I have had a fox dig under a gate to a pen in the past and kill several birds. I got the fox. I got this one too. They won't be killing anymore of my birds but there are always more ready to move into the territory. I do have game cameras up on my property and see them almost every night roaming around. Because of losses due to predators in the past I have electric wire around my pens and coops, concrete under the gates to the pens and heavy duty netting covering the pens. Luckily the predators haven't been able to penetrate. I used some old chicken we had processed as bait.
View attachment 1792755 View attachment 1792777 View attachment 1792778
This is a fox at a chick/grow-out coop. View attachment 1792781
A couple of coyotes.
View attachment 1792782

It really is so sad. It sucks to loose your favourites.