Fox came back

[Kleonaptra]

So, very lucky no one was got!

Ive been watching for him, keeping everyone together and putting them to bed early and letting them out late. There seemed to be no activity.

Between the wall and the door (both wood) theres a crack thats always bugged me. Its on my 'to do' list which is stuck on my kitchen cabnets. We just stick a plastic bucket in front of the door. Well he tried to get in. I heard the plastic bucket tip over and my cats and horses started up a ruckus - I was across the yard and almost on top of him before he fled - I think he tried to worm in and got stuck. The last few nights they have been disturbed and at one point I did actually think something was in with them but it turned out to be the muscovy beating people up in the dark.

Now Im sitting on the back deck with my laptop (shaking a bit) too scared to go inside, and trying to think of a solution that doesnt involve a hammer. I dont want to wake up the kids or the neighbors but I KNOW hes going to be back. The more this goes on the more unsettled I get - hes going to keep trying and the harder I make the game the harder he will try.

I need to get a dog.

 

[coonhoundmama87]

Dogs won't keep fox away, trust me! They'll alert you tho. Sounds like you really need to fix that hole. Fox are determined, intelligent creatures. They'll watch you from a far, learn your routines and wait til the right time to strike. I hate them. To me, the only good fox is a dead fox. If its safe to, you could try putting a trap near that hole, I bet you'd get him.

 

[Amiga]

A dog may help, I don't have one. Probably depends on the dog and the fox.

How did it go? I have found plastic zip ties and half inch metal hardware cloth useful in a tight spot.

Be careful, though - I believe that the hardware cloth has a personal vendetta against me, with a goal to kill, or at least maim me.

 

[lblair53]

I have been very fortunate lately. I live across the street from an entire den of fox. I do have 5 dogs now, I think it really helps me, because if anything IS out there they alert for sure. I also have to make sure it's not just a neighbor. HA HA. I rescued my ducks and all of these dogs. The ducks were living in a horrible situation along with some chickens. I took the 4 ducks when they were 3 weeks old. Made them a coop out of a extra large dog house. Made a pen from pintrest. Tarped everything before winter here in Idaho. I bought a de-icer bowl for their water and picked up another little dog house and put a nesting box in that one too. I ended up with 3 females and 1 drake out of the four, so I figured perhaps they would each like their own nest. All of my ducks love all of my dogs. The ducks are more timid around humans and they will go up to any dog. It funny and adorable. They all get along so well. They can all co-exits out in the back or front of my land. They ducks are very comfortable. I have not had a run in with the fox, but like I said I have seen their den and it is 200 ft or so from my land. Scary, but my dogs are on alert. They are all great.

 

[lblair53]

I have seen on pintrest that some people put galvanized wire fencing at the bottom of your coop. Laying flat on the ground around the entire coop. You might want to look into fox proofing your coop on google or something. I am not sure why the wire would work, perhaps the fox don't like to step on it or they trip up on it. Not sure, but something to look into and not expensive.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have been very fortunate lately. I live across the street from an entire den of fox. I do have 5 dogs now, I think it really helps me, because if anything IS out there they alert for sure. I also have to make sure it's not just a neighbor. HA HA. I rescued my ducks and all of these dogs. The ducks were living in a horrible situation along with some chickens. I took the 4 ducks when they were 3 weeks old. Made them a coop out of a extra large dog house. Made a pen from pintrest. Tarped everything before winter here in Idaho. I bought a de-icer bowl for their water and picked up another little dog house and put a nesting box in that one too. I ended up with 3 females and 1 drake out of the four, so I figured perhaps they would each like their own nest. All of my ducks love all of my dogs. The ducks are more timid around humans and they will go up to any dog. It funny and adorable. They all get along so well. They can all co-exits out in the back or front of my land. They ducks are very comfortable. I have not had a run in with the fox, but like I said I have seen their den and it is 200 ft or so from my land. Scary, but my dogs are on alert. They are all great.

Welcome to BYC

 

[Kleonaptra]

I was wrong the fox got Abbey. He must have been in with them when he heard me coming. Now I think those other times I heard something in there he was testing how fast he could get in and out. I noticed his chest this morning.


Here it is first thing



After Ive cleaned it with salt water and trimmed the feathers. My 3 year old daughter is helping me..


After his medical treatment, looking a bit miffed. Im so upset! I cant believe the little blighter snuck in there while they were asleep and tried to take him. I think the wound is from being grazed on the door as the fox tried to drag him out. I thought everyone was fine because they were gathered together in the back corner I made a special note of Abbey sitting with Que and Stormy. It wasnt till this morning I noticed the feathers at the door. I had jammed a full size pallet over the door and stuck hay bales in front of it - I was thinking he somehow got through that! It was 1:30am when it all went down.

Please let me know if theres anything else I can do for him. I posted these links once before I would really like someone to comment on them please
http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/OXYMB#.VJVvh14B1A
http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/vetafarm_triple_c_antibiotic_powder#.VJVwVF4B1A
http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/aristopet-sulphadim-antibiotic-for-birds#.VJVv-14B1A

If these are any good for ducks I can have it here by the end of the week. If he has any complications at all I wont hesitate to take him to the nearby vet but Im nervous about that as Ive never seen this vet before.

Im off to fix the door, and some holes near the roof that have always bugged me. Next Im going to look at dogs! I grew up on a farm, its just nuts to not have a dog. We lived in the suburbs for some time and havnt thought of it since we moved out but I know its a must have. They really help you manage the acres and always tell you when somethings not right - although my cats and filly did a fine job last night.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't know why you'd want to put him on antibiotics unless he had a deep wound hard to tell on pics. I'd keep the place as clean as possible. Did the fox bite him?

How awful poor baby I'm glad your fixing the problem with the coop, now I think the problem fox needs fixing.

 

[Kleonaptra]

I don't know why you'd want to put him on antibiotics unless he had a deep wound hard to tell on pics. I'd keep the place as clean as possible. Did the fox bite him?

How awful poor baby I'm glad your fixing the problem with the coop, now I think the problem fox needs fixing.

It was difficult to get a good pic. Maybe when my partner gets home he can help. Its all just grazing and mucky lymphatic fluid. The only place theres blood is where some cuticles are coming out, I didnt want to pull on them I assume he will do it better than me. I cant find any teeth punctures, but the edge of the door has a good tuft of Abbey fuzz on it so I think its a graze from the door. He is one of the luckiest ducks alive.

I just thought if someone could tell me if any of those were good for ducks then I could have it on hand for just in case, know what I mean? I think this wound is going to be okay - He is SO LUCKY - but I would like to have some on hand. I wouldnt put him on antibiotics unless I thought he really needed them.

He is just sitting quietly in the grass with his girls. He's reserved but doesnt even seem as traumatized as before - like, 'this is my life. Things just come out of the dark and grab me' when it happened I think Wist was the worst he was frozen in a corner with a horrified expression. Regina has magnificent survival instincts, she usually nests by the door (she has taken over the drake run) but last night when I checked she was practically pulling other ducks on top of her! "Protect the Queen!"

Im at stage 2 with the door, I need my partner to bring me a saw to finish. Next get a dog....Its a tiny fox. Hes so darn lucky I didnt catch him. I dont even know what hes doing here, the monster down the road is 3 times his size.

 

[Kleonaptra]

Heres Abbey

I will try and get a better pic of the wound tonight. I swear I cant find any teeth punctures but I know how those blighters can hide.


This is the shed door - LOOK how tiny that gap is! Yes, I mean that tiny crack at the bottom. Thats where he got in and on the corner of the door was where I found Abbey's feathers


This is the whole shed. Ive built perches for the chickens trying to use all the space but they refuse to use them. The isa brown nests on the floor in a duck nest and the australorp perches on the edges of the partitions around nesting areas.

Written last Friday! Havnt hit the back paddock yet either