Foxes take away my joy of keeping chickens.

[esther5]

I have kept chickens for the past eight years. Where I lived previously, we did have problems with foxes but a 4 foot electric fence solved that. Since that time I have moved house. When I moved I was glad to note that the entire garden was surrounded by six-foot fences. I knew they couldn't jump that high, what I hadn't realised is that they can climb. The foxes here are of a different nature entirely to the ones at my previous house.They are far more determined. Our 4 foot electric fence just got jumped over, so now, my chickens are in a large 'walk in' enclosure. I have been careful not to free range them after dusk. the latest attack was in broad daylight in the afternoon. Fortunately I heard the commotion so it only got two of my chickens. One is dead, the other A favourite)is severely injured so I don't know what will happen to her. Then last night it came again and somehow managed to smash the wooden wall in where I was keeping a chicken while she recovered because she had been pecked. There was no hole or broken bits of wood to help the fox. i can't imagine how it broke through the flat piece of wood which is now broken in pieces. Right now I feel like giving up. i can't let them out at all and i loved watching them scratch around the garden. just feeling sad and defeated.

 

[SueT]

Oh no!! What about trapping it/them?
We have had coyote attacks here. In the daytime. I know the feeling. One idea is to get a livestock guardian dog such as a Great Pyrenees. I'm thinking about it....

 

[esther5]

we have stupid laws in UK. Once trapped it isn't technically a danger so it is illegal to shoot it. Thank you for the suggestion though

 

[Trish1974]

I feel your frustration. While I haven't had any direct losses from foxes I have had many close calls, and witnessed my neighbor's free range flock slaughtered every spring (on my property of course), and have spent so much money in hardware cloth and electric fence to keep them at bay. It starts every spring around this time (just started seeing the fox again two days ago), and I am a nervous wreck all day at work worried that determined little bugger is going to find his way in my chicken run. Between myself, my neighbor, and my boyfriend we have shot at this same fox 5 times and he keeps coming back. They are sneaky, smart and determined. I hope you can find some way to manage your flock and not get rid of them. Even if you could trap and shoot I hear foxes are near impossible to get in a trap. We can't even get a kill shot on this fox because they are so quick and alert. In my opinion they are the WORST predator. I wish I had some advice for you; I just wanted you to know I share your frustration. Good luck.

 

[esther5]

thank you. i feel so demotivated today i haven't achieved much at all. the maimed chicken is eating and drinking a little and did stand up for the first time today. i hope i can muster up some more energy tomorrow. glad i am off work this week. i hope you get that fox.

 

[Trish1974]

That is a good sign she is eating and drinking. I managed to save one of my neighbor's chickens as she was being carried off by the fox. I shot at him and he dropped her, then he ran at her again and picked her up. I shot again and he dropped her so I just kept shooting and he ran off. I found her, in shock, up against a tree in my wood line. I took her in and treated her wounds and she has made a full recovery. And yes, I kept her. My neighbor doesn't care about his chickens, so.... I saved her, I'm keeping her! This is what she looked like when I caught her. Bare backed and missing half her tail:

 

[esther5]

poor girl. glad she recovered. i hate foxes. mine is a silkie. there were so many feathers ripped out. when dd found her we thought she was dead but she was in shock. i hope she makes it. she has a nasty gash on her back.

 

[Trish1974]

Please keep us posted on her recovery!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

can you shoot it? where i live am pretty sure you can kill animals that harass or kill live stock. but do be careful i know most places foxes are considered a fur bearing animal meaning you need a fur licences to kill one.

what about trapping? foot hold's work good in a dirt hole set if you know what your doing. you might need a trappers licences to set traps but if your good at it they work wonders.

 

[JDN]

we have stupid laws in UK. Once trapped it isn't technically a danger so it is illegal to shoot it. Thank you for the suggestion though

Would anyone know? Could you not SSS as they say in the Western United States regarding wolves that attack livestock? (Shoot, Shovel, Shutup.)

This will sound barbaric. And it isn't for the faint of heart. Have you thought of a more "quiet" way to dispatch the fox?