FOX took my girl! And a chick died today....YUCK DAY

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I am so sorry!

We had to put down a very sick chick yesterday too

And we have a fox around here as well! A couple of weeks ago it attacked in mid-afternoon while we were home. Luckily we looked out the front door as it was running toward the girls and I ran out screaming at it and ran it off. We've set some leg traps in the woods behind our house (with permission of the local authorities) but foxes are smart. Hopefully we get it soon as it worries me all the time knowing it is out there waiting to strike again.

What might work is to "bait" the fox with a chicken in a wire cage somewhere on your property. Watch the cage (gun in hand) and when the fox comes you can dispatch it with no harm done to the chicken. I feel like the would be traumatic for my chickens so we haven't done this yet but if we don't get that fox soon we may try it.

Good luck, I hope you're successful!

 

[chickenannie]

You don't have to bait the trap with a live chicken -- just use raw hamburger, or something with a strong smell, like the trapper I know used pig fat.

Also, I read that foxes have very high senses of sight, smell and hearing, so they're hard to beat if they think a person is close by.

However, your fox attacks seem bold, so I'm guessing it's a mother fox getting food for her babies.

 

[Jennym]

I have a flock of six and the other night after cleaning the dinner dishes I heard my chickens upset. (They were all free ranging)
I went outside and only saw 5 chickens. I panicked and went walking to the coop to only find a pile of feathers, no carcus, no blood. We think a fox.
Now I don't want the other five out at all. I am looking into a goat and poultry net with electric fence.
I raised these chicks last spring. They would fall asleep in my arms. They follow me around the yard like puppies.
I can't stop thinking about it. Very sad