fox

[Lorettawyandotte]

I have had my birds for a year now and have delt with hawks and 'possums...nothing more than that...tonight at dusk I looked out to see if my visiting ducks were here and there was a fox standing by the coop...it is dark and too late in the day to do anything other than shut the coop door, walk away and hope they are all there in the morning...I do intend to make several patrols through the night with my .12 gauge...I don't know what else to do...the adult geese are free ranging but bed down close to the house...the new babies and older ducks are secure...it is just the older laying hens and the teen agers who are vulnerable...got to make a plan...it will be back...

 

[Mahonri]

Foxes here in the desert are so rare. I'd be trying to live trap it and relocate it to the wilderness.... we have LOTS of that here.

 

[mxpres]

it would be almost impossible to relocate a fox in a location where it would not be a problem for someone,plus you would be making it trap smart,more than they are,if you are fortunate enough to trap it,,kill it or get someone to do it for you,or,,make your run secure enough to where a fox can,t get to your birds and keep them penned at night,,even free ranging during the day you will probably lose birds now that the fox has found them

 

[Lorettawyandotte]

thanks you guys...I would not try relocation as it would just be a problem to someone else...iiin the morning I will move my geese to a secure pen and try to shore up the big coop...my son is off tomorrow and he can come help...if I see it, I will shoot it...it can not have my birds...I am over run with wild rabbits this year...I just made a circuit around the perimeter and saw five bunnies without looking for them...fox can have them, not my chickens...darn...the goose layed an egg today and I forgot to pick it up...maybe on my next round...

 

[mxpres]

rabbits taste good too

 

[Lorettawyandotte]

I hope they taste better to foxes than chicken...or goose...

 

[ctychix]

I had a fox kill a hen mid day, made me re-think free range during the day. I would never have expected a fox in town, and as it turns out it is an endangered species. I hope I don't jink myself by saying but although he makes rounds daily and leaves scat, he hasn't tried to break into the coop. We have been busy making everything more secure, but I can't do anything beyond that. I hope you keep your hens secure unless you are out with them. It's probably best not to give him a taste of chicken, that may be why mine hasn't moved on.

 

[CMV]

I have foxes, but they are very shy. The only one who has ever come near the house (I heard it trip our driveway alarm in the middle of the night so I was looking out the window from the dark house) was scared off quickly by a motion sensing light. I don't know if that's something that could be of help to you. I have found that having a motion light trained on the coop and run/yard at night keeps a lot of predators away. The birds don't set it off because they are locked up tight in their house.