FOX HELP!

[SixRouens]

Yesterday in broad daylight a fox came and grabbed one of my Rouen ducks. The fox let the duck go when we let our dog out to chase it. The duck was limping and bleeding a little, but seems fine.

This morning I went out to check on our flock and our 3 5week old turkeys were gone.

Our duck coop is not fox proof. We had no idea we had foxes until yesterday when it went for one of our ducks. I have moved the ducks into a temporary pen in our garage until we can figure out what to do about the fox. The sooner we handle this the better. I literally made their pen in the garage from materials we had in the garage. It is not the best place for them, but it is better than them being fox food.

Any advice on how to fox proof our coop? How can we handle this fox problem?

thank you for your help!

 

[Amiga]

What I did was fence the top of the Day Pen. I also laid coated chain link fence across the bottom to prevent digging under.

I was warned by a neighbor before we got the ducks about foxes taking ducks in broad daylight.

Sorry for your losses.

You could also consider a couple of strands of electric fence, but the fence across the top works so far for us.

 

[laughingdog]

Leave the dog in the yard to wait on the fox. our dogs just killed i think it was two or more foxes in the same week. collie and heeler are fast and agile enough to catch but the shepherd just chases hoping to grab by tail and be able to beat it to death against the ground. while your at building though hardware cloth is best to use, as weasel, woodrat, skunk and possum can all squeeze and force through small spaces.

 

[Onlyducks]

I covered the pen, to avoid having any predators get in. Also buried fiberglass panels around the edge of the pen to keep critters from digging in.

 

[orpington13]

well it should have been predator proof from the start. we only had a fox once and it never did anything. I would recommend a motion activated light our light is about 40 feet away but it works like a charm even when locking them up at night. we don't have dogs but, if you could build a shelter for your dog, he could stay out all night with a leash

 

[SixRouens]

The reason our pen isn't predator proof is because there is nothing on the bottom. We bought it from the store where it looked sturdy, but once we put it together it was nothing like the display model.

We have a boxer mix, but his leash can't reach the duck area. Due to an unfortunate incident with our neighbor's chickens, he's not allowed to run free anymore.

We have the coop under our farm light that's always on at night. It didn't have any effect on deterring the foxes, because that's also where our turkeys were.

We warned our neighbors about the fox after the attack happened since they have free range chickens. They've never had a problem with foxes.

 

[orpington13]

the motion sensor light scares them, because all of a sudden they walk through the yard and Blink! trust me I've seen it scares the crap out of them. also bricks and chicken wire going around the bottom in the dirt.

 

[Onlyducks]

SixRouens: A motion sensor light might work, but not if the foxes are very persistent. I put up electric fence to keep deer out of my garden and they went right under it, in full contact, when the fence was on. Tried motion lights, deer repellent, etc. I now have a nine foot fence around the garden to keep them out. Deterrents only work if the animals can find food easier elsewhere.

Can you secure the pen to the ground over hardware cloth? It's a bit pricey, but it would keep them out. If the foxes are really hungary, they will find a way to burrow in if there is no bottom. It needs to be sturdy. It also needs to be covered with dirt so the ducks don't hurt their feet.

Being in Missouri, I'm guessing you can live trap the foxes. If you can trap and then relocate them far, far away, that might work. Also, a gamecam can tell you what critters are roaming about at night, though you do have to have it in a location where the foxes pass through. This whole predator thing is very frustrating, I know. And expensive.

 

[orpington13]

well I guess ours are pussycats and your foxes are persistent. we have coyotes too and they were digging in to the cage. thank god for the chicken wire we could actually see into their house! the hardware cloth probably won't work because can't the fox just push it up from the bottom?

 

[Onlyducks]

The hardware cloth has to be attached to the bottom of the pen. Otherwise, yes, the foxes, if very hungary, will push the wire up. ( I'm thinking if the fox grabbed the duck in broad daylight, he's pretty gutsy.) Weights may work--I have large pieces of channel iron (industrial iron in kind of shallow u-shape--very heavy) to hold down the fiberglass. All of this depends on the persistance of the foxes and whether you are willing to take a chance at losing the ducks. My pen is tied together extremely well with cable ties and wire. Last fall, heavy wet snow collapsed part of the pen (the ducks were unhurt) yet none of the seams came apart. I admit to "over-building" on most things, so you might not want to go as industrial as I have. Adjust according to your needs, of course.