FOX

[abbienelson__]

I tried to google this but couldn’t find anything it’s just out of curiosity. So when we have a hen that’s taken by a fox there’s usually always a patch of feathers where it’s been taken but very occasionally we have a missing hen but cannot find any feathers at all! Today we had a fox attack and my brother and i chased the fox, which dropped the hen (she’s fine, in shock and has a small wound but will live) but there is no feathers at all! Anyone any idea why some hens drop feathers and some don’t?

Attached a wee photo of my baby after her attack ! She’s now in a dark pen with food and water.

 

[centrarchid]

Most of the time when I see the feather pile, that is where they fox stops to dispatch the chicken by rapidly delivering multiple bites to the chicken's body, neck, and sometimes head. Some of the feathers are dislodged by fox, and many others naturally fall out by something going on with chicken's skin.

If the fox is simply trying to get away with the chicken, it will simply run with the chicken without immediately doing the dispatching. Generally, if chicken is not dispatched it squalls which can direct unwanted attention for the fox. More often than not, if you walk far enough out in the direction the fox is heading with the chicken, you will be able to find the feather pile.


If the fox is getting multiple chickens on a visit, then you can either find them together away from where captured, or even dismembered and buried in shallow little holes. Either way the fox will come back later to collect them.

 

[cmom]

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason why they do what they do. I have lost birds to fox. I have trapped them and eliminated them because once they make a kill they will keep coming back. Since I have eliminated the killers I have seen other fox on my game cameras but as long as they don't bother my birds I don't bother them. Good luck...

 

[abbienelson__]

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason why they do what they do. I have lost birds to fox. I have trapped them and eliminated them because once they make a kill they will keep coming back. Since I have eliminated the killers I have seen other fox on my game cameras but as long as they don't bother my birds I don't bother them. Good luck...

We always have one this time of year it’s so sad but this year we have seen two different ones and they’re coming in the daytime to when we least expect it! We’ve managed to save 2 out of 7 hens so far.. but we can’t get anyone to eliminate them as they don’t bother anyone else and we don’t have a gun license or the heart to kill one! We just try our best to chicken wire around the area and have electric fences to make it more difficult for the fox.

 

[RiverOtter]

@centrarchid is totally right - the feather pile is where the fox stops to kill the bird. The bird drops feathers in an autonomous response - sometimes the predator will be left with a mouthful of feathers and the bird gets away.

 

[RiverOtter]

@abbienelson__ , if you call your local game warden an tell them you have a nuisance fox, they'll come out and take care of it.