Fox attack right out my Door!

[HighNDryFarm]

I'm downstairs in my bedroom with the tv on, my lab is laying on the patio right outside the frenchdoor, some of the chickens & the Roo is down here on the lawn and landscaping & all of the sudden, sqwaucking & bawcking, I run out and there are two foxes or coyotes (I can't tell which, they look like fox but one was almost as big as my lab) trying to grab my chickens! The Roo is on one, the lab goes in to help, hens running everywhere! I chased them down the road because they would trot off and stop so I chased them untill they went into the canyon. The guns were in the safe because we had young kids staying with us this last week. All the chickens are locked up in the coop and the gun is out of the safe....luckily they didn't get anyone and no one was hurt....this time.

 

[speckledhen]

Nice teamwork by your dog and your rooster!

 

[chickengrandma]

WOW! Nice job by everyone saving all the girls! Make sure to give the roo and dog an extra little treat today (and yourself)!

That poor roo must have been so scared for his girls!

 

[kareninthesun]

If the preditor was nearly as large as your lab, I don't think it was a red fox. Do you have grey foxes in the area? Or maybe wild dogs? Grey foxes aren't apt to be that brazen unless they think no one is around, which might be the case. They ARE good parents and teach their young ones well. Grey foxes can be as tall as labs since they have longer legs, and can move like both cats and dogs in stealth. Also, if it is a grey fox, they can climb trees, fences, and here they scamper up the tree, jump to my second floor balcony, climb to the top roof of the second floor and work its way back down the roofs to get to the backyard fence if the dogs are in their way. The only reason they haven't gotten a chicken is because they can't get ahold of one and get up the fence and out of the dogs reach fast enough. I'm guessing the closer it comes to winter, they'll probably step up their game a bit to get food.

 

[Ole rooster]

That's quite a rooster. Love it.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

We do have grey foxes around here, I think it's red fox that we don't have... but the fox that I've seen around here most evenings is small and walks the same path past us most every evening, right past us. So it was a surprise to see two of them and at 8:30am. I'd been out and around the yard, fed all the animals, turned sprinklers on and off. The master bedroom in on the ground floor and the TV was on, the french door open and the dog laying right there and I was in my room. I had actually just stuck my head out and said hi to the chickens because I heard them clucking around right there. The attack was no more the 10 feet from where my lab was and it was within minutes of my just talking to the chickens.

I'm lucky they chose this group because I had 9 - 6 week old Polish, 7 - 3 month old various breeds and 4 other 7 month old's up at the coop and barn area.

They could have been coyote's but I've never seen a coyote except at night....but I think it's odd to see an attack like this so close to the house and this time of day! Also, I had to keep chasing them because they kept stopping and looking back at us and I wanted them to get further away.

I'm calling one of the neighbors that they headed towards and confirm that they didn't get some odd breed dogs! They just didn't seem afraid of me.....however, when I did ask my lab to go after them to chase them away, she wouldn't! She was afraid of them so I think they were coyote or fox.

 

[OkieKristi]

I rarely see a fox, so I am not too familiar with them, but I would guess that you saw a coyote. I have found them to be generally unafraid of dogs, and they are brazen. If you stand and watch a coyote, they will stand and watch you. They normally will not turn and leave until you go in the house to get the gun.

 

[Attack Chicken]

My bet is on coyotes. The trot and stop is what they do and they will be back they know were food is.

Keep the chickens up and the gun out and ready and also give that rooster and dog some extra treats!!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote:
Yep, that's what they did...just trotted away, then stopped. They ran when I moved towards them. That's why I had to follow them so far, I wanted to make sure they went into the canyon. I have the gun ready now but I have to go to work for a couple of hours, I have a winery coming in (I own a wine shop/tasting bar) but as soon as I'm done I'm coming back. I think I need to be home today.......

 

[10 point]

Quote:
x2 they definitely deserve some extra treats and maybe even a medal for there bravery