Foxes- what we can do to prevent them!!!!

[Blessedthistle]

(Also I'm not saying I don't love dogs. I adore those sweeties! But Electric fencing has to be put up if one is around that has not been trained to be around chickens. Dogs are not scared of humans so they will not hesitate to attack the chickens, even if you are guarding them.)

My coop was built (by me) like Fort Knox, multiple locks on every door, solid walled henhouse for nighttime with steel door, buried metal apron around outside enclosure, and hardware cloth stapled, and screwed with wood over that. I moved here a year ago and the property is like a wildlife refuge, like being on safari from the kitchen window. Like you, I love watching the foxes, and there are many, so I made sure I covered all bases with the coop. Then I stupidly assumed, after seeing my roos defending the hens from my dogs etc, that no animal had a chance if it came close. Plus the foxes always watched from a far hillside and never came close, so I thought they would only come hunting at night. Well I was woefully wrong.

The good news is that after I posted I went out for another search of the property before it got dark (thank goodness I did) and my missing chicken came walking up from the pond, soaking wet and traumatized but apparently unharmed. She is drying off in my laundry room now. Fox is still working on poor Angelo....he was quite a big boy. They won't be free ranging anymore (without me there with my dog) and I will be putting up electric as soon as I am able. As always, I am grateful for the great advice offered here.

 

[Trish1974]

I believe I have heard this story before somewhere...Weren't there two or something? Another one came a week later or what? And you got a pure rumples araucana roo to breed with them for their blue eggs?

Yes, I mentioned 2 birds but only posted a picture of one. Yes, I bought an Araucana rooster (my avatar), just to have an araucana, but I am so in love with the breed I will be switching to an all Araucana flock.

 

[Abriana]

I use electric netting. I have a fox that lives at my creek, pretty close to my chickens. It will be three years in march I’ve had my lovely birds and never had an issue. I also have raccoons and possums but I have never had a need for concern in those areas either. My dad built my coop for me and it is seriously predator proof, and I have two locks on each door, one to latch it shut and one to keep it that way—like a caribeener or something.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

My coop was built (by me) like Fort Knox, multiple locks on every door, solid walled henhouse for nighttime with steel door, buried metal apron around outside enclosure, and hardware cloth stapled, and screwed with wood over that. I moved here a year ago and the property is like a wildlife refuge, like being on safari from the kitchen window. Like you, I love watching the foxes, and there are many, so I made sure I covered all bases with the coop. Then I stupidly assumed, after seeing my roos defending the hens from my dogs etc, that no animal had a chance if it came close. Plus the foxes always watched from a far hillside and never came close, so I thought they would only come hunting at night. Well I was woefully wrong.

The good news is that after I posted I went out for another search of the property before it got dark (thank goodness I did) and my missing chicken came walking up from the pond, soaking wet and traumatized but apparently unharmed. She is drying off in my laundry room now. Fox is still working on poor Angelo....he was quite a big boy. They won't be free ranging anymore (without me there with my dog) and I will be putting up electric as soon as I am able. As always, I am grateful for the great advice offered here.

I’m so sorry for your loss of poor Angelo. . We have lost over 10 chickens to foxes during He day over the past 4 years. We finally put our foot down the other day when our sweet Silkie pebbles got taken and said no more free ranging for my Silkie flock, they are living in a secure enclosure now. The other flock still free range but the dogs are there to protect them...

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

@chickens really
I am going to start a RP about a family of chickens if you want to join

 

[chickens really]

@chickens really
I am going to start a RP about a family of chickens if you want to join

Huh?...

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Actually forget it I can’t figure out how to do it anyway + I Am in so many already....

 

[HennyPenny2019]

I saw this post as I was posting mine in Emergencies, my chickens were attacked yesterday afternoon, broad day light. I was gardening at other end onf property and thought I heard something and when I reached their enclosed run discovered the massacre. I have lost my chickens 4 times over the past few years, swore i wouldn't have anymore but then moved to Portugal (from UK) and understood, foxes were rarely a problem here in the North, how wrong was I?? One survived and I just posted asking for help as to what might be wrong with survivor but I won't repeat here. At night they are in a concrete shed, with metal doors and glass windows with mesh, this is completely fox proof but their run has an 8ft rigid metal mesh fence around it, not the flimsy chicken wire stuff but they scaled it, so unless I keep them in a bomb shelter which kinda defeats the object as mine are backyard chickens in theory meaning I love watching/enjoying them, I used to let all my chickens free roam as my gardens have always been fenced but lost so many I had to build a more solid run area, but now I think I am just going to give up and get a goldfish as I am heartbroken this happened again - I have had these 3 Wyandottes for about 6 months!!

 

[HennyPenny2019]

Oh how awful .. I’m so sorry to hear this. I too would be heartbroken. I hope someone here has a good solution.

 

[Beer can]

So this is a thread where you can put your experiences and your sad tales, we are not to judge anyone on the way they handled this. Here are some questions you can answer to help those who may be dealing with a fox at the moment:

• What did you do to prevent this from happening?
• Have you shared a similar experience?
• Can you offer reassurance?
• Do you have any questions about what they can do to your flock?
• Are you weighing wether or not to get another flock cause your last flock got wiped out?

Here are some people I’m tagging:
@bamboochicken @OldEnglishGameBantam33 @Nats Chickens @PollyGirl21 @Ducklover2 @sassysarah123

Actually, fox have been my best least worried about predator when they're confined in the coop , and my coops are not predator proof.
Couple trail cam pics of passerby's that left them alone.

Had a deadly chicken thieving raccoon once, it didn't last long,

Free ranging, birds of prey , hawks are a occasional prob. Sometimes fox but not a problem that can't be solved