FOX: Is there ANY way to get EVICT them from the premises?

[Astrid]

We have a large Victorian home in a neighborhood of large Victorians on small, in-town lots. Behind our house we have a big carriage barn, and part of the barn has been our coop for several years. Two years ago I lost my whole flock to a fisher. Prior to this, we have had a small flock of 8 hens for 15+ years and never had a predator attack. One of the hens we lost was 8 years old. Anyway, I didn't replace them right away, and for two years (that we know of-- most likely longer!) a family of fox have been living in under the barn, cavorting in the back yard. We set up a trail camera and they're very active. Last summer they raised 4 kits under there, despite our many attempts to get them to leave, and the fact that we also have three big dogs in our fenced yard. They don't seem to care. This year we need them to GO because we have chicks ordered, set to be delivered on 4/28.

Is there any effective way to get fox to LEAVE?! Other than shooting them; as I said our lots are small and our neighbors are close. We have tried everything: solar powered flashing "predator" eyes, ammonia-soaked rags, motion-activated water blaster, radio, dog urine, husband urine, coyote urine (bottled. who knew?) tin foil, hardware cloth, crushed red pepper flakes... all to no avail. Latest was heavy-duty no-dig spike strips that are buried in the ground, to deter digging under. Last night they moved several cubic yards of dirt and rock and dug down 16" and got in again. We are at our wits' end.

Is an effective fox solution that doesn't involve firearms a rare unicorn? Does ANYTHING work?

 

[azygous]

I highly recommend hot wire. The principle behind hot wire is tempting the predator to engage with the hot wire and receive a strong, very unpleasant shock. Many people mistakenly think hot wire is to provide a protective barrier. It does not. Most predators will ignore the wire and proceed to find a vulnerability in the run to access a free meal. The secret of making a hot wire setup work to repel predators is to bait the hot wire at intervals with something the predator finds irresistible.

My most persistent predator is the black bear. This animal will defy any and all barriers, electrified or not. A bear is like the Hulk. It will effortlessly take apart any barrier between it and chicken dinner. The difference is a little substance called peanut butter. I dab it at intervals on the hot wire and the bear comes around and is distracted by the peanut butter as it comes near the run. I've watched as a bear licks the peanut butter and gets a searing message deep in its brain via its wet tongue.

The experience is so painful, that individual bear will never ever return. This will work on foxes, coyotes, stray dogs, and raccoons. The cat family requires a somewhat different bait in order to deliver the lesson as peanut butter isn't a huge thing for them. But fish is.

I had a bobcat kill one of my hens by jumping on the run enclosure and panicking the hen into escaping through an unlatched gate. I chased the bobcat off, and knew it would return the next day, because this has happened before. I opened a can of mackerel and rolled the fish into a "burrito" of chicken wire and then I attached that to the hot wire with more wire to form a continuous circuit. The bobcat returned and received its lesson when it tried to eat the electrified fish. That cat never returned.

 

[aart]

Thankfully I’ve never had to deal with anything other than hawks and opossums. But maybe @aart and @azygous could pitch in here.

Really, give the forum more than 7 minutes to respond.

Latest was heavy-duty no-dig spike strips that are buried in the ground, to deter digging under. Last night they moved several cubic yards of dirt and rock and dug down 16" and got in again. We are at our wits' end.

Pics of this dig in would help.
About the only things you can do is make your coop and run impenetrable, add hot wire, disturb the den.

 

[aart]

We spent all last summer trying to convince them to relocate, all to no avail.

Would be faster and safer to build coop and run with secure wire.

 

[NatJ]

Drive them 10 miles away and let them go.

Check the laws where you live before trying that-- in many places it is illegal.

Other than laws, reasons to not release a predator include:
--bad for the fox (other predators live there, it may get killed or chased away or starve)
--bad for other foxes (the one you move might spread parasites and diseases to others)
--bad for people (if you don't want a fox near you, what about the people in the new place?)

 

[TenderfootFarm]

I highly recommend hot wire. The principle behind hot wire is tempting the predator to engage with the hot wire and receive a strong, very unpleasant shock. Many people mistakenly think hot wire is to provide a protective barrier. It does not. Most predators will ignore the wire and proceed to find a vulnerability in the run to access a free meal. The secret of making a hot wire setup work to repel predators is to bait the hot wire at intervals with something the predator finds irresistible.

My most persistent predator is the black bear. This animal will defy any and all barriers, electrified or not. A bear is like the Hulk. It will effortlessly take apart any barrier between it and chicken dinner. The difference is a little substance called peanut butter. I dab it at intervals on the hot wire and the bear comes around and is distracted by the peanut butter as it comes near the run. I've watched as a bear licks the peanut butter and gets a searing message deep in its brain via its wet tongue.

The experience is so painful, that individual bear will never ever return. This will work on foxes, coyotes, stray dogs, and raccoons. The cat family requires a somewhat different bait in order to deliver the lesson as peanut butter isn't a huge thing for them. But fish is.

I had a bobcat kill one of my hens by jumping on the run enclosure and panicking the hen into escaping through an unlatched gate. I chased the bobcat off, and knew it would return the next day, because this has happened before. I opened a can of mackerel and rolled the fish into a "burrito" of chicken wire and then I attached that to the hot wire with more wire to form a continuous circuit. The bobcat returned and received its lesson when it tried to eat the electrified fish. That cat never returned.

This. Make them touch it. Most predators seem to know to steer clear of hot wire, but if you can get them to lick it...

 

[MissE]

Would be faster and safer to build coop and run with secure wire.

Put your time and effort into a secure home for your chickens. There will always be predators. Skunks like chicken too, as do neighborhood dogs and cats. Even if the foxes are gone, there are other hungry animals to worry abou.

 

[cmom]

I have electric wires around my coops and pens, good heavy duty netting covering all of my pens and concrete under the gates all due to losses from predators in the past. I don't free range anymore either. I have used leg traps but now only live trap. If you have a nuecense fox, it will keep coming back especially if it has made a kill. It will lurk looking for an opportunity. Lessons learned the hard way. Since I put up the electric wires nothing has intruded. I also have several game cameras up on my property and fairly regularly see predators on them mostly at night here. The bobcat killed 14 birds one might. It made the mistake of coming back as well as the fox. In most places it is illegal to relocate catches without the property owners permission of where you relocate to. We are rural on a dead end road and have been the recipients of others relocations. My wires aren't pretty but they work.

 

[NY Coturnix]

I was using a have heart live trap once and accidently trapped a skunk. Went outside and my dog flew to the trap so I thought I had caught the squirrel I was after. It was dark so as I approached the trap I felt something hit my chest like water. Immediately realized it wasn't a squirrel. Spent the rest of the night looking up skunk smell removal remedies and stunk for 3 days. Called all over the next day trying to find someone that would come remove it for me. Everyone one I called said just let it out, they can't spray you in a trap. I found out that was wrong the hard way. Finally found a guy on Craig's list that would do it for $75. after going back and forth in my mind I decided I'd get sprayed again rather than pay $75 to get it out. Came up with the idea of using a tarp as protection. Carried it over my head like a ghost to the trap and then laid it over the trap. Looked like a moron using 2 6 foot 2x4's like chopsticks trying to open the trap. When I finally got it open I expected it to come out like a bottle rocket. He finally strolled out after an hour or so.

 

[chicken-tender]

Trapped wildlife in the city is hard for the average citizen to handle safety. Either a professional exterminator/ wildlife removal company or a quiet .22 cal AIR rifle of sufficient power and a shovel works best for all concerned.