Fox takes month old chicks!

relos

In the Brooder
May 19, 2017
12
9
23
Totally devastated, never had this much grief since a member of my family past away. Even though they had only been a part of my life for 1 month, I really bonded with them and they would all cuddle up to me and peep loudly when I left them :(

3 days after moving them into the coop which was very secure with extra high grade welded mesh and the unit placed on concrete foundation to prevent predators digging under.

I had unfortunately let one thing pass which I wouldn't have thought a fox would do in a million years. My coop had a pull out tray to make cleaning easier, the fox pulled this out with its teeth! In the morning I had discovered teeth punctures and scratch marks with the tray on the floor and evidence of a few chick feathers..

Warning to you guys if you have this kind of tray system coop - please secure with door bolts and padlocks. I now have realised how sly and cunning foxes can be, the tray wasn't even protruding and completely level with the back of the coop. Lost for words..
 
Totally devastated, never had this much grief since a member of my family past away. Even though they had only been a part of my life for 1 month, I really bonded with them and they would all cuddle up to me and peep loudly when I left them :(

3 days after moving them into the coop which was very secure with extra high grade welded mesh and the unit placed on concrete foundation to prevent predators digging under.

I had unfortunately let one thing pass which I wouldn't have thought a fox would do in a million years. My coop had a pull out tray to make cleaning easier, the fox pulled this out with its teeth! In the morning I had discovered teeth punctures and scratch marks with the tray on the floor and evidence of a few chick feathers..

Warning to you guys if you have this kind of tray system coop - please secure with door bolts and padlocks. I now have realised how sly and cunning foxes can be, the tray wasn't even protruding and completely level with the back of the coop. Lost for words..
I've never heard of that one before. Quite a shocker! Sorry for your loss.
 
Jesus that is one cunning fox just out of curiosity are you in the US or UK?
sorry

In the UK here, fortunately the supplier had month old chick siblings left over which I brought over straight away but they aren't the same....scared of me and still adjusting to their new home.

I've since fortified the rear of the coop adding 2 padlocked barrel bolts to the tray slide opening and extra door bolts to any other openings, also noticed this morning new teeth and scratch marks (from the damage seen you'd say it was great white sharks biting into it!) - it tried to take it out again! Unless the fox can use a screwdriver or rip metal off with it's teeth, I don't think it will succeed.

However if the fox gets to them again, I can't go through that stress again and I'll probably give up having "backyard" chickens..
 
That is a new one on me, and I'm very, very sorry for your loss. It is a good lesson for folks in the future, though. I see people putting the exterior nest boxes in without locks/latches of some sort on them, a huge mistake, but it is sometimes hard to see every tiny flaw from a predator's point of view. Excellent warning for everyone who has a clean out tray, thank you for posting through your grief. Again, I'm so so sorry.
 
Sorry for your loss! I've been leery about letting my girls out as I saw 2 fox chasing a deer in the field next to our place 2 nights ago. I hope things go better for you.
 

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