Fox Help...

[janetk]

i called the DNR a few years back when i had a fox problem. he came out and sprinkled coyote urine in different spots around my acerage. the next day, the fox and her babies were gone. i've since bought a bottle of it (i don't know how they get the coyotes to tinkle in a bottle

) at my feed store and it has worked ever since. give it a try. i know some have tried it and it didn't work but it worked for me! i had kept my girls in their coop for two weeks, hoping the fox would move on since the cafe of mine had closed. when i did let them out, there she was, so i don't think time will make them go away.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
It kina depends on what kind of fox it is if it is a grey it does not work so good the reds are afraid of everything it works better with them. as the smell dies down so does their fear/shyness.

 

[theFox]

Quote:
It kina depends on what kind of fox it is if it is a grey it does not work so good the reds are afraid of everything it works better with them. as the smell dies down so does their fear/shyness.

Their fear/shyness also goes down as they get more hungry.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
It kina depends on what kind of fox it is if it is a grey it does not work so good the reds are afraid of everything it works better with them. as the smell dies down so does their fear/shyness.

Their fear/shyness also goes down as they get more hungry.

And this works in the favor of us who trap them

 

[apmorris]

I have also had a problem with a fox. We lost three roosters and 9 hens in three different episodes over the summer. Like you, these were chickens with names-birds that we will miss. Most of the chickens were killed while my husband and I were outside, on the property and usually in the middle of the day. I did a lot of reading and spoke to a lot of local hunters about relocating/trapping/killing the fox. I am told that foxes are very intelligent and difficult to kill/trap. Although we live in a rural area, our neighbors are a little too close for us to feel like we can discharge a weapon on our property. I called our county animal control office who referred me to a DNR-licensed, wildlife control service. I was willing to pay the service any amount of money to get rid of what was probably a mother fox with kits. After a lengthy conversation about fox habits, I was advised to purchase coyote urine ($60.00 for 24 oz) and "wick sticks". The coyote urine can be purchased on-line or a pet store may be able to order it for you. Wick Sticks can be purchased at a store that sells hunting supplies. You will have to find the fox den. Apply the urine to the wick sticks (or saturate cotton balls) and hang them or place them near the opening of the den and also near the chicken coop. Continue to keep saturated wick sticks near the fox den until you have evidence that the fox is no longer at the den. Coyotes are a foxes natural enemy and it is very likely that the fox will move on. And no, the urine does not seem to attract coyotes.
Additionally, we built a 1,400 square foot pen a few weeks ago that is as safe as a fortress. We just started letting the chickens out of the pen for a few hours in the evening, but I am definitely leery and uncomfortable when the chickens are out now. I wish that any one of my birds had survived an attack. Good Luck!

 

[apmorris]

We have both red and gray fox here, but my husband saw a gray fox carry one of our hens away, so i imagine that was the predator. We have not had any sign of the fox for about a month.
I did some research on how coyote urine is collected. I can't remember on what site I read it, but the coyote urine is collected from coyotes who urinate while they are in captivity, such as in zoos or possibly rehabilitation sites. It is not collected from coyotes who are kept in a confined space who have indwelling catheters in their bladder, such as animals who are used for research. Maybe TMI, for some readers.....if so, I apologize.

 

[grngni]

Thanks for the coyote urine info. I'll have to see where I might be able to find that around here. So far no more lost hens. We've been putting sister-in-laws dog in with them now and then as a deterent. He's a BIG dog, but he's gotten really spoiled by spending a lot of time indoors. The other day I went out for eggs, and he came out of the coop through the little chicken door. LOL

 

[iluvsedward]

thats got to be disturbing on your way to work

 

[aprophet]

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[chickswithchickens]

ooooo a fox ate one of my chickens a while ago and ate my rooster's toe through the coop. were the chickens just walkin aroung outside the coop when the fox got them? I dont know what you could do about it though, call animak control for like a trap or something? i have never seen at fox again after i went out and scared it off once with a rake..it hasnt bothered me. Sorry about your losses though!