Fox sighting

[cactus-hen]

My neighbor told me she saw a fox and kit on her property three days ago, about an hour before sunset. She was sitting quietly out by her goat pen when they came out of a wash that crosses the property. She moved and the fox saw her and ran and the kit went into a culvert. About 15 minutes later the mom returned for the kit and they left they way they came. All this happened about 30 yards from my chicken coop. My chickens free range during the day and are locked up securely at night. Do I have to worry about the fox "getting into the hen house" during the day?

 

[zazouse]

Yes you do, food is food and they will take what they can, they gotta eat to survive.

 

[NickyPick]

I've got a fox and kits nesting (denning?) under my barn. One of our dogs has gotten one of the kits, but the rest are still there. I have not seen any digging around either of my coops/runs yet. I don't like the thought of trapping the mom and relocating her with out the kits, but I'm not sure how to get them all. My friend, who works for the US Forest Service suggested I set out the trap and get the mom, then release her. Catch her again, and release and she should grab the kits and move away as this wouldn't be a safe place for her anymore. I'm not sure the fox would get into the trap more than once, though.

It's funny. I live in suburbia. We have an old subdivision that has 2-4 acre lots (we have 4) and we're surrounded by subs that have 1/8th to 1/4th acre lots, yet we've got tons of predators hanging around. Owls, hawks, raccoons, possums, foxes, snakes, coyotes, not to mention the domestics - dogs and cats.

In any case - do you have a dog? I think that's why we never see the fox during the day, because the dogs are out and the foxes are too smart to risk it. During the night, the hens are locked up in a very strong, predator-proof coop.

 

[ooptec]

hey,

I live where people in the 'sticks' call the 'sticks'.

Foxes like hanging around yards because coyotes kill them for fun and they are a little safer nearer humans.

Coyotes and foxes we have tons of, esp. coyotes. However only the very odd one will get a taste for 'domestic'. Tho when they do killing them is the only option.

My birds free range all day and in summers the days here start so early, and go so late I leave the coop open as I'm not getting up at 0500 to let them out. I have a maremma boy I bonded to the birdies and 2 smaller dogs, an american eskimo and a border collie/spaniel cross. They patrol all night and some nights are VERY busy but (K)nock (O)n (W)ood have only lost a few guinea's as they go out of the doggie 'safety zone'

cheers