Foxes!!

Ok I understand you are trying to help, but am confused as to what you are trying to say. 


The fox eating your chickens is not a natural situation. He is choosing your chickens over mice, rabbits, and so on because it is low risk high reward situation. Every day of a wild animal's life is a fight to live and it has no regard for another living being. A fox will attack and kill your flock with no consideration for fear and pain felt by its prey; that is natural. An animal will protect its life, home and offspring, again with no consideration for pain and fear inflicted on the threat (it doesn't say "I guess I'll let it eat my babies since it's only doing what's natural"). So, the natural situation is for a fox to have to track down and chase it's prey, or take advantage of the weak or injured. The natural situation for a chicken is to fly or otherwise flee and protect itself. The fox in the coop situation is unnatural for both: the food is handed to the fox and the chicken had no means of escape. As the "owner" your job is to prevent that and become that essence of life threatening risk that is natural to a fox's hunt. His choices while hunting determine whether he lives or dies, and the choice to attack on your chickens is no different. I do not kill every fox I see, but I do get rid of one's making that wrong choice. As has been mentioned, not only is relocation illegal, is also harmful to the animal that ends up in another's territory and is ripped apart, or ends up attacking someone else's flock or pets... Or perhaps dies of starvation or exposure.
 
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Also. You chose to get the chickens. That means you chose to be their provider! Chickens cannot really defend themselves so you have to.
It's the same with all livestock
 
Pee, hair, mothballs and all those other home remedies are bunk.
Nothing is going to deter a fox if he has free access to your birds. You have to fence him out and your birds in. Or get a guard dog (our lab never barks but is a great chicken protector ) or better yet, both.
A fox control program either via trapping or shooting is not a bad idea either.
 
I also have a Fox problem...Trapping is hard...We still have a fox problem...All we ever catch is my Cat...
Fox are smart and usually wont go into a trap. We shot its mate last fall but the female is still here...

We were told we could relocate her, but it would be best to shoot her if we catch her? I live in Canada so rules are a bit different...Was told to snare it but again the cats are the issue.

During the day my dogs are out while I free range. I have a Maremma and two Aussie crosses...No fox during the day...

If you're using meat or meat based bait...try marshmellows. They work surprisingly well for foxes, raccoons, skunks and rats, but cats aren't attracted.
yesss.gif

Older foxes are harder to trap...but the young foxes are usually pretty easy.
thumbsup.gif
(Manitoba here...lol)


For the op, if your fox has young ones, your losses can increase exponentially. We lost 8 chickens just during supper to foxes with young ones this year. Full daylight, completely mowed yard, guinea fowl and a dog on duty (although he's getting old in his defence...lol) Majority of the birds were game bantams and they could fly really well. Didn't even know anything happened until we went out. Very quick, very stealthy and very brazen. I discovered the older fox still scoping us out after we put the chickens away. The magpies alerted us to it's position and where it went.

Do a quick read on foxes, specifically those from north America. They can have a substantial area they cover and they have quite a family structure. It's quite amazing.
To relocate a nuisance animal far enough away would take many miles between you and them.
 
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If you're using meat or meat based bait...try marshmellows. They work surprisingly well for foxes, raccoons, skunks and rats, but cats aren't attracted.
yesss.gif

Older foxes are harder to trap...but the young foxes are usually pretty easy.
thumbsup.gif
(Manitoba here...lol)


For the op, if your fox has young ones, your losses can increase exponentially. We lost 8 chickens just during supper to foxes with young ones this year. Full daylight, completely mowed yard, guinea fowl and a dog on duty (although he's getting old in his defence...lol) Majority of the birds were game bantams and they could fly really well. Didn't even know anything happened until we went out. Very quick, very stealthy and very brazen. I discovered the older fox still scoping us out after we put the chickens away. The magpies alerted us to it's position and where it went.

Do a quick read on foxes, specifically those from north America. They can have a substantial area they cover and they have quite a family structure. It's quite amazing.
To relocate a nuisance animal far enough away would take many miles between you and them.
Thanks, I will have my Husband try the Marshmellow trick.......Bad Fox......
 

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