Fox den 20 yards from front door, 70 yards from barn/coop.

[AllenK RGV]

I'm sure your donkey will let the foxes know they aren't welcome. Let the donkey free range the property and those foxes will move on in a hurry. Not a guaranteed method but donkey/mules are reportedly intolerant of foreign 4 legged predators.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I walked in my house years ago, stepped back out into the screened porch, and immediately saw a red fox nonchalantly grab a chicken not 20 ft away from the house. I think it was late morning.

Last week I saw a gray fox slink out of my barn at 1pm.

They'll definitely eat every one. Maybe all in one day. If you want to keep both you'll have to fence somehow. Good luck making your decisions, they can be tough!

 

[Folly's place]

I like watching the wild critters too, but not while they kill my chickens!
A predator proof coop and run is necessary, and then electric fencing (see HowardE's posts) or electrified chicken fencing (Premier1supplies.com) will protect your flock. Free ranging them next to a fox den will have them all die, maybe in one day.
At least, consider making that den a bad place to live; fill it in, stomp around on it, something. Your vixen still will know where your chickens are, though.
Mary

 

[Minky]

Ok, thanks for all the stories, ideas and the like.
I will proceed with caution. Maybe try and trap the fox....

 

[lazy gardener]

FWIW, in most states it's illegal to catch and transport critters to release them on some one else's land w/o the land owner's permission. So, if you trap, you need to have a plan for what to do with the critter you've trapped. And once an animal has been trapped, they will be trap wary, so will be more problematic in the future. If the fox finds chicken nuggets in your yard, and you catch/release into an other area, she has become habituated to an easy chicken dinner, but now is trap wary. So, the next farm she visits will not be successful at catching her again. In my yard, a trapped predator will get a dose of lead.

 

[Folly's place]

I don't know what's legal in Ontario; you need to find out before doing any trapping.
Here in Michigan, and inmost of the USA, relocating trapped critters is illegal, except to your own property, or another privately owned land within the same county, with landowner permission. The fox will then return home, or find more chickens there, and be trap-wise. It's very difficult to trap foxes in a live trap!!!
IMO< fencing your birds, and making that den unpleasant for the vixen (if legal) are the best options you have.
Mary

 

[AllenK RGV]

Revisiting this thread and Lazy and Folly are totally correct. I am no hunter/trapper but I now know the law in my corner of the world inside and out. Only because I have chicken and of course predators. Funny that I am not a meat eater but I am ordering paw hold traps too. Nope don't need a "Davy Crocket" hat to take me back to childhood.

 

[RWise]

I have red fox here, but never had an issue I could blame on them, maybe because I have dogs. I know they are here as I have seen him about 3/4 mile south of me.
Now when I was a kid a wolf pup came up and we took it in as a pet/dog. When he grew up he vanished, then one day he stepped out of the woods and looked at me. He had brought his family to show me, she and the pups stepped out for me to view. I never seen any of them again.
Here I could shoot them (if a problem) but not relocate without pre-approval from wildlife management.
I do use live traps and foot traps, a big coon will destroy the live trap fast. Never caught a fox in anything,, good luck!!

 

[Bamachic]

Fox is a beautiful creature but they have a healthy appetite for chicken. If you could trap and relocate that would be more humane. We are in process of doing the same thing. They have gotten 15 of my chickens
And I have to keep them in the coop unless I am out watching.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Relocation is illegal almost everywhere, for good reason. it's also not 'more humane'! Don't trap unless you will shoot the predator.
Protecting your flock with fencing and a safe coop and run is the best way; then far fewer predators become problems!
Mary