fox decimated my flock

[bangor777]

At 3 pm today, with all of us home, a fox went into the enclosed area I have my babies in and killed all of them but one. 10 chickens dead! my 11 week olds free range and they were unharmed but the silkies and three others are only 5-6 weeks old and they have a fenced in enclosure. Theres no top on it, its not predator proof, I just didn't want them to get lost. my mom was on the front porch just 15 feet away when he did it!

now I have them all locked up like fort knox, I don't know what i'm going to do. I called the game warder (a friend) and he said to shoot it, really the only answer.

my plan for now is to leave the chickens locked up in the coop (poor things!) until I can come up with a plan.

Anyone have any luck getting rid of foxes??? I'm shocked at the hour he attacked at! And with all of us there! We screamed at him, he left bodies behind. I buried them all today.

 

[Mahonri]

3PM...

Almost dinner time....

Shucks, sorry about your loss. You'll have to catch the fox and send him to heaven too.

 

[pixiechick]

I'm so so sorry.

You're in my thoughts.

 

[rooster-red]

He'll be back, he knows where to get a meal now.

Trapping it or shooting it are the only answers I can sugguest.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[spook]

So sorry to hear this. One thing is to set a trap, sad as it is to do that, perhaps you can get a live trap and have the game warden dispose of him.
The other thing is to put your chicken wire on insulators and when anything comes into contact it gets a zap.
In feed stores you can get a electric fencing that is like sheep wire, its probably more expensive then you can imagine.
Start baiting him to hours that your up in the early dawn or evening, perhaps you can get him to a time line and you can shoot him.
Good luck and we are all on borrowed time with free range and unsecured biddies. My heart goes out to you.

 

[Davaroo]

The fox had to be really hungry, driven from its home territory. Something had to really make it move from it's normal patterns. Could it could have been rabid? Maybe some other sickenss. I dunno about rabies, but I didn't think they did that when they got it.

It's also possible that it had never been taught to be afraid of human habitation. Uh oh, here it comes....

Thats what happens when preds aren't hunted - they lose their fear of people. Just trying to 'keep them away' or relocating them elsewhere does little. It actually exacerbates the problem. Soon the livestock suffers at the hands of animals that SHOULD know better, but never learned. Then we are surprised to find we have a "problem."

I know it was a choker of a moment for you - been there done that. I feel for you and you have my empathy.

Thats one of the reasons why I'm an advocate of harsh methods against preds. Its a drum I beat incessantly, as many of you know.
Humane trapping, relocating and other such half measures only staves off the inevitable.
In your case, I doubt it's anything you did, other than having no real plan for predator deterrence.
It behooves us as chicken keepers to understand that things we cannot see, patient, focused creatures with sharp tooth and claw, want to kill and eat the birds we love.
Yet, you may have suffered all the more, because 'humane treatment' elsewhere could have brought the chicken killer to you, suddenly and unawares.

Im not saying that is what it was, but it is a distinct possibility.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

I'm sorry, that sucks!!

I lost most of my Silkie flock last winter to a coon and it was not fun at all!

I think it's odd that it would happen in the middle of the day. I would think rabies, since most of this state really isn't that built up.

My neighbor has had a fox trap out for 3 weeks now and has caught nothing, but I think only has one or two birds left. So as soon as those birds are gone, guess where the fox will be looking next?

At least you are locking yours up. They (my neighbors) are still letting their birds roam wherever, making a free meal for the fox.

 

[nnbreeder]

I've seen Fox at all times throughout the day and they usually don't have a set time for hunting. When rebuilding remember that they are excellent climbers and can dig under rather quickly.

 

[chick4chicks]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. It really sucks to lose your beloved babies. Hope you get the dirty devil. Take care and protect your remaining babes the best you can.

e

 

[bangor777]

Thank you for all your kind words. I've done something I never thought I would (could) I dug up the babies and scattered them near the coop and sat in the dark with a 22 for 2 hours. Actually, my 18 year old son sat with the gun, I just kept him company. no sign of the fox yet. Gathered the bodies and will try again early tomorrow. So....when you shoot a fox do you go for the head or the chest?

I'm not 'mad' at the fox, it did what it was supposed to do. I just intend to do what I have to do to protect my flock. I
don't believe trapping and relocating works, it just passes the problem along, plus when i was a kid we were relocating a racoon and it got out of the trap in our car...not fun.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm going to leave the hens locked up until I get him. Luckily the coop is large so they will be sad but safe and they'll have plenty of room. (more so now that they're numbers are down)

Anyone here successfully dispatch a fox?