Foxes have me anxious

[cmom]

The birds are pretty well insulated with their feathers. If they touch the wires with un-feathered parts they may feel the zap. Check out the threads by @Howard E. He has a lot of good examples. Again good luck...

 

[cmom]

As I mentioned in my prior post, I do also have my pens covered with good heavy duty netting. I have a couple of coops my DH and a friend built that are open on one side and I had issues with an owl getting in and killing some birds. Problem solved. I don't close the pop doors on the coops but otherwise have had no issues with the measures I have taken, and again good luck...

 

[Sonya9]

Yeah it is kit season. I didn't even know we had foxes around here but learned the hard way 3 weeks ago.

Let my birds out to free range for a couple of hours in the late afternoon and a fox went on a rampage killing 4 just feet from the house (the 5 dogs and I never heard a thing). When I went out to lock up the coop after dark it was empty and I started finding mounds of feathres and bodies around the house.

Birds won't be free ranging for another couple of months when kit season is over.

 

[Smileybans]

Yeah it is kit season. I didn't even know we had foxes around here but learned the hard way 3 weeks ago.

Let my birds out to free range for a couple of hours in the late afternoon and a fox went on a rampage killing 4 just feet from the house (the 5 dogs and I never heard a thing). When I went out to lock up the coop after dark it was empty and I started finding mounds of feathres and bodies around the house.

Birds won't be free ranging for another couple of months when kit season is over.

I free range my birds and fear this will happen. But I make sure someone is outside with them otherwise they’re locked up. We have already had turkey vultures circling during the day. I keep a metal stick in hand when I see them to scare those suckers away. Sorry for the loss of your birds.

 

[Sonya9]

I free range my birds and fear this will happen. But I make sure someone is outside with them otherwise they’re locked up. We have already had turkey vultures circling during the day. I keep a metal stick in hand when I see them to scare those suckers away. Sorry for the loss of your birds.

I have read Turkey Vultures don't really hunt live prey, we have them around here too. I have five dogs and no predator has ever ventured into our fenced yard BUT I started feeding a feral cat, and that attracted fox, possums, and even the chickens would raid the dish. Then apparently one day they all met up and the fox went nuts taking out as many as it could.

 

[KingD]

I was checking my chicken cameras before bed, like I always do, and saw this guy on the yard camera. I’ve never seen a fox this far up the yard before and I’ve had trail cams set up for years. I know they live in the woods behind my property but them being this far up the yard is news to me.

What has me worried is we are extending the run. The camera is currently on the end of the existing run and I want to extend it past the fenced in area. Then put another coop at the end of that. So on the other side of the fenced area you can see will be an 8x10 coop. I’m worried that it’s so far down the yard the fox will get into the coop. I plan on getting an electric fence for around the whole perimeter of the coop and run but will that be enough? I’m anxious about seeing this guy and just need some advice I guess.

That fake owl or whatever it is sure did the trick!

 

[Smileybans]

That fake owl or whatever it is sure did the trick!

It is a fake owl. To scare the actual owls away from my koi pond. I’m surprised the fox got scared of owl actually. Surprised but glad it worked.

 

[KingD]

It is a fake owl. To scare the actual owls away from my koi pond. I’m surprised the fox got scared of owl actually. Surprised but glad it worked.

Ok. There are a few birds which are actually more than capable of taking down a fox. Eagle owl, golden eagle ect. I guess it just got a shock.

 

[Smileybans]

Ok. There are a few birds which are actually more than capable of taking down a fox. Eagle owl, golden eagle ect. I guess it just got a shock.

I didn’t know that. Glad it got a good shock though. I move the owl to keep the real owls on their toes. Hopefully it’ll do the same for awhile with the fox.

 

[cmom]

Yeah it is kit season. I didn't even know we had foxes around here but learned the hard way 3 weeks ago.

Let my birds out to free range for a couple of hours in the late afternoon and a fox went on a rampage killing 4 just feet from the house (the 5 dogs and I never heard a thing). When I went out to lock up the coop after dark it was empty and I started finding mounds of feathres and bodies around the house.

Birds won't be free ranging for another couple of months when kit season is over.

The fox knows it has gotten some birds there and will lurk and look for another opportunity. Lesson learned the hard way.