Fox Killings - Pictures now added - Graphic.

[Haley_LinckHillPoultry]

Just lost another one last night. My muscovy hen was on a nest inside my horse barn, which is right across from my house. He jumped her on the nest and killed her.

We went hunting for it sunday night, unfortunately at the time we didn't have a red light and had to settle for a flashlight. My dad and I sat in the middle horse stall that faces the woods and chicken coop, and at 10:30, we flicked the light on and there it stood, heading right toward the chicken coop! I snatched the flashlight out of my dads hands, because he was manning the gun, and at that point the fox was at a full dash back towards the woods, he fired off a shot and, unfortunately, missed.

We went back out tonight in search of the foxes den, and found what could look pretty promising, so we set up twigs and sticks in front of the den because my dad said we'd do that before we set any heavy duty traps, because the cats go down in the woods, and he said that a cat won't push through the sticks, but a fox will.
So wish me luck!

 

[TipsyDog]

Good luck on your hunt tonight. I hope you get him! I'll be out myself with my trusty 22. I've got a huge coon and now a porcupine that my poodle stuck his face into last night!

 

[Freebird1st]

This just squeezes my heart tight. Sorry for your loss.

I can tell you how to get this fox. However, I suspect that there are probably several others nearby.
Not sure if you have ever seen this done or not but I promise it works.
You want to make the sound of an injured fox pup which is almost identical to a regular puppy dog. I mean the screaming sound one would make when trapped and in pain. It is a constant yelping, whining sound of desperation. Sort of like errr, errr, errr...err, er err, erre rrrrrr. let it kinda of wind down some towards the end of of a few errr's as though getting tired. pause a few seconds to rest then start it back up. Do this for a minute or two...take a short break and start all over. As close as this fox is, you may see him within a minute. It will only take as long as it takes for him to run the distance depending on how far away he is at the moment you start. I have had them on me in less than a minute. One evening I had one trying to get in the car window. He scratched the door beside me. Their protective instinct just drives them nuts. I have had as many as seven foxes running back and forth along a knoll top just 30 feet from me. Seeing it was a human they still could not resist.
Now, how do you do this? You could buy a recording but usually they are illegal.
My method works better. It only takes a little practice.
Find a nice wide blade of Johnson grass. Tear it in half so that you have only a clean part of the blade without the center of it. You'll see what I mean.
Cup your hands together with both your thumbs side by side which usually leaves a small gap between your thumbs and thumb joints. Children often learn to whistle this way. Same thing but you want to press the Johnson grass between your thumbs in the gap.
This acts like a small reed which will make a very high pitched squeal.
Practice doing this until you can control the "whining" sound. I recommend practicing inside because it will surprise you how well this works.
Being a little hidden will cause the fox to come in closer but it is really not necessary. He is looking for a pup in distress and will go nuts in search. The more excited it all sounds, the better!
BE READY! This works.
Caution!!! This may also call in other animals such as coyote, mountain lion, bobcat, and even curious whitetail deer.

 

[sealsandwich]

I am really sorry and wish you well in your hunt. I had hoped when I clicked on this thread to see graphic pictures of your vicotry, not of your loss.... Make sure you post the update.

I really hope you get him. Soon.

 

[CallyB57]

I am very upset about your birds. I am so sorry - I just can't stand the thought of something killing my own birds. I have hardware cloth nailed over the coop windows, with frames on top of the hardware cloth. I hope this is enough to protect my birds. I latch the 'hen' door from the inside every night so that they are 'totally' locked up, and there are no cracks or openings where predators can enter. Still, though I take more than 'reasonable' care of my birds I am so afraid a predator will get them. If this happens, I hope it does not keep me from wanting to raise chickens any more. I have a 'safety' latch on each hen house door, so I hope the coons have not gotten so smart they can open those.

 

[bathsheba8542]

I know we're all sensitive and get upset by what happens in the world of predator vs. prey, but foxes do what foxes do.

I lost 10 chickens (and I absolutely adored each one) in one day last week when a fox climbed the fence, chewed through the aviary netting, and made off with them, one by one. I found piles of feathers in the fields, and I am pretty sure I know the fox and that she was feeding her young.

Totally my fault for leaving my chickens unprotected. So, I've since put up 3 lines of hot wire around the pen, and they have been untouched since then.

I would never intentionally hurt a fox. It's my job to protect my chickens, just as it's her/his job to try to get food for their young.

I wanted free range chickens but realize with predators around it is not going to happen. They get organic feed, a very large fenced and protected pen, and maybe next year when we add sheep and guard dogs we can let them out. But we have to be reasonable about how nature works, and it's not realistic to think unprotected chickens will be safe from predators.

 

[rcbubb]

Im sorry that a fox got your chickens to. They got 1 pullet and a hen.