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

[kgallego]

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?

If killing them is an option you can always poison them. Not sure if it’s legal where you are or not, but if you set out some Ground Beef saturated in a bucket or bowl with Anti-freeze and put it near their den they will eat it and die. Other than that, snare and leg traps are effective also. You could also leave a running vehicle and pipe in to their den from the exhaust some carbon monoxide.

 

[Matejka]

I don't think hot wire will help in this situation.
OP says

Behind our house we have a big carriage barn, and part of the barn has been our coop for several years.

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,

So, if I understand correctly, coop is a part of barn that foxes are living under.
Hot wire would trap foxes inside? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

[Astrid]

I don't think hot wire will help in this situation.
OP says

Behind our house we have a big carriage barn, and part of the barn has been our coop for several years.

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,

So, if I understand correctly, coop is a part of barn that foxes are living under.
Hot wire would trap foxes inside? Or am I reading this wrong?

Yes; I think they've been denning there and I'd bet there are kits already. We see two adults on our trail camera, coming and going. There is a tack room that's an extension of the barn, separated from the main barn floor by a sliding door. That room is the coop. It's got a sturdy, solid foundation and wood floor so the indoor coop itself is secure, but it opens into a large wire-enclosed run where the hens forage during the day.

 

[Matejka]

Try live trap

 

[aart]

but it opens into a large wire-enclosed run where the hens forage during the day.

Is that where they dug in.....and where they killed the birds?

 

[MissE]

I use an electric poultry fence. It even keeps the bears out. Unfortunately, I can only use it from April until October, so the rest of the time I need to make sure my run and coop are like Fort Knox.

You may not be able to get rid of the foxes, but you can keep them away from the chickens by having a secure run and deterring them with electricity.

I'm in the sticks and have no problem letting them play catch with the 12 gauge of they are causing a problem, but I understand this is not an option for you. Can you call a pest control or animal control company to get rid of them?

 

[Astrid]

Is that where they dug in.....and where they killed the birds?

No, the fox are denning under the barn. In December of 2019, a fisher ripped open the chicken wire and got my whole flock. We had planned to start again in the spring of 2020, but that's when we noticed the fox family. We spent all last summer trying to convince them to relocate, all to no avail. I've got chicks ordered for this spring, but the fox family are back! I want them gone, because although I've never had a predator issue in 15+ years of a backyard flock, now I've suddenly, in my urban backyard, got a family of fox AND a fisher, apparently. ARGH.

 

[Astrid]

I use an electric poultry fence. It even keeps the bears out. Unfortunately, I can only use it from April until October, so the rest of the time I need to make sure my run and coop are like Fort Knox.

You may not be able to get rid of the foxes, but you can keep them away from the chickens by having a secure run and deterring them with electricity.

I'm in the sticks and have no problem letting them play catch with the 12 gauge of they are causing a problem, but I understand this is not an option for you. Can you call a pest control or animal control company to get rid of them?

We have thought about a Havahart trap and relocation ourselves, but we know we have skunk in the area (as most urban/suburban neighborhoods in Connecticut do) and are worried that we'll trap a skunk instead-- and then what???

 

[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.

 

[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.