fox prevention

[gsim]

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Regards fencing it would be for a run if you plan to have one. Reason to electrify it is that foxes, coons, coyotes, bobcats, and some dogs climb fences. So a hot wire eliminates that. To discourage diggers, I set my 6 ft fence in cement. The skirt you did is good. The cement with the 4 courses of hot wire and the 5-mile fence charger should take care of all but aerial predators in my case. A nightly lockdown of the coop (which is inside of the run) does the rest of the job.

If anyone plans on free ranging, then they should expect losses because it is a matter of when and not if. It is the price of participation for free-ranging. Your discovery of fox tracks has already given you a forecast of how that would work out if you tried it.

 

[1acrefarm]

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I have to wonder why those who already know the answers bother asking the questions.

 

[sashurlow]

"I have to wonder why those who already know the answers bother asking the questions."

I have learned a great deal on this post. I have learned that what I'm doing is definitely a step in the right direction. I have learned that fox can climb (I honestly did not expect that answer), and I learned that if something does happen, an electric fence will help (currently there is no electricity next to the coop). I also learned that filling in the fox holes probably will help, as it will keep mom and hungry pups further away from my birds.
I also learned that there is a great amount of animosity on this forum. To each their own. Lighten up.
So to the people who helped me out with this question, thank you very much.
To the people who took offense to me not wanting to kill the local fox

Scott

 

[1acrefarm]

If you have a degree in wildlife management then you know that harvest is a very important part of wildlife management. The fox and coyote population is getting astronomical in places because few people hunt them anymore. If foxes are coming near your coop it is not if they get your birds it is how often and how many. I thought I could coexist with the raccoons. I coexisted with them for three years then they got bold and I lost several hens. 6 raccoons are out of the equation now. You would not let mice and rats take your house over saying "its no use they will just replenish themselves" so why have that attitude with predators. Its plain and simple if you are going to raise prey animals then it is your responsibility to learn to dispatch a predator. The longer you keep those chickens the closer and more emboldened those predators will get. A predator control program will not only reduce their numbers but it shows the survivors that easy chicken snack just is not worth it and things happen to them in your little area of their territory.

I would secure that coop very well and close the chickens in at night. Don't use poultry wire on your run because any predator can rip right through that. I would use some good strong wire with a wire skirt buried around it to prevent digging. That run needs a good strong top but keep in mind the snow load in your area. Dispatch any predator that is so bold as to let you catch it going near your coop. If you take all these steps you may occasionally have predator losses but they will be minimal.

 

[FaereChicken]

We live next to a wildlife management area, so we have A LOT of foxes. I've had one hen disappear (the dog happliy brought home a chicken foot weeks later) that I attribute to foxes. Basically, we have a tractor with a wire floor that runs along the ground, dense clay soil that discourages digging, only free-range during the day, and a sleeping box off the ground.

My feeling is that I'm going to lose some chickens, and I accept the risk. (hint: always have extra hens, and it's not like you can't replace them, anyway) The foxes eat far more mice than they do chickens. Raccoons are worse - they leave most of the bird.

Oh, and cars harvest plenty of the small to medium predators - I don't consider that my job.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
I want apologize for the animosity you have experienced. I have also noticed that people have been getting quite unpleasant here lately. There are some folks that need to learn to stay out of the Predators and Pests section of this forum. Dealing with predators issues is never pretty, and people get very upset. Sorry you are having problems with foxes and even more sorry you came here to get answers and got a hard time instead. We're not all big jerks here, really. Good luck.

 

[sashurlow]

"If you have a degree in wildlife management then you know that harvest is a very important part of wildlife management. The fox and coyote population is getting astronomical in places because few people hunt them anymore. If foxes are coming near your coop it is not if they get your birds it is how often and how many. I thought I could coexist with the raccoons. I coexisted with them for three years then they got bold and I lost several hens. 6 raccoons are out of the equation now. You would not let mice and rats take your house over saying "its no use they will just replenish themselves" so why have that attitude with predators. Its plain and simple if you are going to raise prey animals then it is your responsibility to learn to dispatch a predator. The longer you keep those chickens the closer and more emboldened those predators will get. A predator control program will not only reduce their numbers but it shows the survivors that easy chicken snack just is not worth it and things happen to them in your little area of their territory."
I should probably avoid this, but oh well, You made a very good point and did not simply make snide remarks. You make a completely valid point, but I personally hold another completely valid point.
There is also the thought that a hunted population is a younger population. A younger population requires more food to feed growing bodies. Coyotes and fox in normal conditions will only have 1 or 2 pups. However, when there is room for the population to grow then they will have larger litters. Larger litters require larger prey to feed growing pups. In a stable population, the old survive and the young die (deer follow this too). Older animals require less food, and in the case of canines, smaller prey. So go ahead and trap/kill coyote and fox. Fox and coyote will adapt with larger litters and the population will recover easily enough. The only thing that will effectively control a coyote population is a wolf, and the only thing that effectively controls fox are coyote and wolf. I have too much land around me and too many fox to be able to control their population by trapping them myself.
In addition, I've seen the scat of my fox. Its mostly plant and berries, not much fur. If I keep the population stable and not growing, then the scat will hopefully stay berries and grass.
Raccoons are a very different story. They are the ultimate omnivore. I fear them more and am making efforts to keep them out of my coop. Fortunately I have seen no signs of raccoons around me but I do know I have a fox.
Scott

 

[1acrefarm]

Good luck on whatever you do. I forgot to mention human male urine in and around the coop tends to discourage some predators. I would also consider getting a good dog and training it and socializing it with the flock from a pup. The draw backs to that is they will catch and dispatch the occasional predator which you tend to not want. Another is that the chickens will not see canines as being as much of a threat. The good is their presence will deter many predators just by scent which will avoid some confrontations.

 

[gsim]

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Be sure to wave if the neighbors drive by as you mark your coop. Otherwise they might get the wrong idea.

 

[davidb]

If you don't want to hurt the fox,coyote,raccoon,etc, and want them to live together, just put up a sign , it will work just as well as the other ideas, and with the extra money you save, you can replace the birds that get eaten by the illiterate predators