Fox

[EggHead107]

Hello everyone I recently lost one of my babies to what I just found out to be a fox. I am constantly on the search and look out for this terrible creature now I have gotten night guard light and strips and coyote urine. Does anyone else have any ideas about how to keep fox away? I also have donkeys and obviously they were not doing there job that day... I cannot afford to have this happen again so i need all of the help I can get
thank you

 

[carlf]

Once they find easy food, they will keep coming back until they pick off all your birds.

You will need to secure your birds in your run until the fox is killed or loses interest.
And fox can climb fences, so you have to have top.
Also keep your coop locked at night.

Coyote urine will only work until the fox figures out there really isn't a coyote around. And it will get used to the lights as well. Just makes it easier to see what it wants to eat.

Its almost impossible to get a fox to go into a cage trap, so Snares or foothold traps are the best approach. If you have o experience with them, its best to find someone who will trap it for you or call a critter control company.
Do not relocate predators, its illegal in most states and you chance spreading diseases. Once you catch it, you have to kill it.

Calling and shooting also works, download a crying rabbit call for your iPhone, add some speakers and set it up in the direction the fox is coming from. if the fox is close, it will come running. A .22 will kill a fox, no need for anything bigger.

Other option is an outside dog that is chicken-trained.

Or just live with the fact you cant free-range unsupervised.

 

[wamtazlady]

I use electric poultry netting to keep the fox away from my hens.

Last year in the spring a neighbor shot the last fox that was in the area. We had a great summer and no one lost a bird. However, in October another fox took over this territory. I figure shooting is only a temporary solution. That's why I got the netting.

 

[KYTinpusher]

I'm so sorry for your loss!

Make sure you move the nightguard lights once in a while so the predators don't get used to it. Our resident fox won't go near our donkeys pasture.

She would rather be out in the open on the road than go through the pasture.

I agree with the electric poultry netting. Once the fox knows it is electric, it won't go near it even if the power is out. I find that the only time our neighborhood fox comes after my chickens is when she is raising kits and needs a quick meal and is willing to risk coming close to the house to get it. After the kits are grown, she generally goes back to hunting rabbits and such and doesn't bother my chickens.

I have heard a radio set to a talk radio station can keep many predators at bay. I have used podcasts on my Ipod during the spring when the fox has kits and it seemed to work.

If you feel the need to trap it, you have to be very crafty. Fox are not easily trapped. I know there is a very good thread on this forum somewhere that tells how to disguise the trap for a fox. Sorry I don't have the link right now, but if I find it, I'll let you know.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[EggHead107]

thank you everyone for your help. Since fox are not easily trapped I am having hard time telling if he is still around because a possum and a raccoon were near my trap but my trap did not trigger because I saw them on my game camera but nothing was in the trap. I am very upset but I will go to the thread about how to trap a fox and see what I can find. But now I have to worry about a raccoon!!!! Any one know how much those electric fences are????

 

[carlf]

What bait do you have in the cage trap? Check the trigger to make sure it's working. And keep it set you need to get rid of the coon and possum too

 

[EggHead107]

I have deer meat. I know a raccoon could get my chickens. Could s possum too???

 

[owlflights]

I have deer meat. I know a raccoon could get my chickens. Could s possum too???

pretty much anything will go after chickens if desperate enough. raccoons, possum, skunk, mink, weasel, etc

 

[carlf]

Yes I lost a full grown Maran hen to a possum last Christmas while our dog was at the vet for a week. Possum made the mistake of coming back. .22 solved that problem.