1. This happened a few years back, but one of my moderns drowned in a bath tube- his companions were a few mixed roosters and a pig. I think the pig pushed him, but not sure. 2. Last week a fox? killed four of my older chicks, my dad ran out and nothing was seen, although the chickens had been just killed (poor moddy) The bodies were still there, only two had bites to the neck and the other two had dies of shock- i think. The other chickens survived- one with a cut and one is blowing up like a balloon on one side of its body. The fence it got through was tight and only raised 4 inches when I got there. I moved all alive chickens and put bricks over where the fox? got in. The creature then moved the bricks and took all the bodies. I live in aus, so nothing big like a ml did it. I just wonder, how it got out of the cage without us seeing. I know board the chickens up, but the fox has been seen 10 more times, sometimes on top of the cage. I even saw him near my australorps tonight. Im sure its a fox, but I don't know how it escaped so quickly- maybe a ferret killed them and the fox took the bodies. I believe we have 2 foxes. He is large, nearly the size of a small sheep the fox. Hope to know what he is??? 3. My silkies- They had lots of feathers in their cage, from moulting, but one night they were gone- I don't think human, but don't know how a fox would of gotten in, all i could see was the gate (weighs a tonne) was moved slighly. 4. Same cage as silkies, two of my chickens killed, by a fox i believe. Rooster was found outside, bleeding, but other than that okay. He died trying to defend his lady (rip blackie and afro). 4. The mysterious death of a chicken- this guy (blackies brother) died and the body was never found. Must of happened overnight, all chickens were found outside their cage, but only one had been found missing. Blood was found 300m from cage, but other than that???? 5. My mot lav belgains- creature pushed on their cage and killed them, feathers found 100, 200, 300m away but no body. I though cat, but they leave wings, legs , head...
We built a run that has a wire 'roof' and the wire on the walls went below ground level under a log and then the wire was carried outwards like a horizontal skirt so that foxes couldn't dig under the wire. Every night the henhouse was locked up so nothing could eat them. It worked. Ten years and no incidents. My sister had a fox terrier dog which had the full run of her yard. She didn't have as good a setup as we did but she did say that her fox terrier spent many a night chasing the foxes away. She did end up losing a hen and a rooster was injured as he fought off the fox. The terrier chased the fox away preventing further casualties. The dog never hurt the birds though.
Dogs and dog urine are a good detterant. Best solution is an electric wire at fox nose level - it's kept them out of my runs for 20 years. Ferrets can kill chickens and can get in through the tiniest gap- in my experience being tame or semi-tame, the ferrets stick around and eat the chooks in the run.
The problem is the foxes are getting smarter, one pushed open one of my cages, whitch weighed properly nearlt double it.
There is now a flashing light system called "Foxlights" (invented in Oz) that supposedly keeps them away.
Have you seen nite guard solars- we brought 5 and electric fencing and a fox trap and fox ATTRACTER, hes not getting another in his life.
Nite guards are only good at night. They do not prevent fox attacks during the day. I lost 20 chickens in the last week. 5, 12 lb+ Roosters (Sussex, Orps) and several layers. I saw the fox this afternoon and chased him off. It's time's for electric on the fencing. He/she knows where the restaurant is located. Time for drastic action--even death to the fox(s). Old farmer gave me a remedy for elimination. Property backs up to woods--that's where they are--hear their cries every night. Never saw a fox on the property in 16 years until I got chickens!
lights that are colored only work for animals that are not color blind most animals are color blind I use red lights to hunt at night with the animals never see these lights I take my time and make a good shot with a red light again never seen by the fox or yote I am shooting
