Gray foxes—what am I up against?

[andythescot]

Anyone have experience dealing with gray foxes?

I heard a pair barking to each other in my yard last night and saw one slinking along our stone wall when I went out to investigate.

My coop is predator-proof, but my run is only mostly predator-proof. It’s chain-link fence with a chicken wire top. Being climbers, I’m nervous a gray fox would get on top of the run and get through the chicken wire, or, since they’re smallish, that they might squeeze through the chain link fencing. The run does have a skirt of fencing pegged to the ground around it so I’m not too worried about digging.

I’m keeping my four girls in the coop (8’ x 8’) until I can better secure the run on Friday when I don’t have work... I feel really guilty about keeping them and I know they’re like “what the heck, dad! Let us out!” But i can only imagine how much guiltier I’d feel if I let them out and something bad happened, fully aware of the danger. I’m trying to appease them with lots of treats but you know how chickens love their routines!

Have you found gray foxes to be as crafty and dangerous (to poultry) as their notorious red cousins? Any tips for keeping them out of the run and away from your birds?

Thanks!!

TLDR;

I have gray foxes in my yard and need tips for fixing up my run before I feel comfortable letting my girls out again. Any advice or wisdom is much appreciated!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Keep your flock locked up.....my solution would be to get a trail cam and watch the suckers with a gun in hand! Or, you vacan always set up traps! Good luck keeping your flock safe!!

 

[andythescot]

Lololol I don’t even know what I’d do with a gun, let alone where to get one! I appreciate the enthusiasm though

 

[Amer]

I don't personally have experience, but I have relatives who fed chicken scraps to them.
I find them fascinating. I'm curious whether they would steal birds.
(No danger to me, no predators around my house.)

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Yes, gray foxes will kill chickens. They’re pretty crafty little critters and they climb well.

Making things critter proof is likely your best bet, but they can be trapped... however thy can prove difficult to catch in a cage type trap.

A dog to keep them away might be better yet... if you have one?

 

[imnukensc]

I'd be a lot more worried about a fox digging under the fence than going over the top. In any case, a fox is not going through a chain link fence.

 

[Kessel23]

Gray foxes are not as dangerous as red foxes when it comes to chickens but they can and do take birds sometimes. They are not as skilled at hunting larger prey like the red fox but can figure out how to kill a chicken if they get to spend enough time around them. Here is an article about their eating habits, it does not talk about chickens much, aside from the one statement at the end.
https://sciencing.com/do-gray-foxes-eat-8497562.html
From what I understand their diet is not very close to a red fox and their hunting skills are very different.

I'd be a lot more worried about a fox digging under the fence than going over the top. In any case, a fox is not going through a chain link fence.

The gray fox is the only canid that regularly climbs trees. They even have partially retractable claws. Before they were classified properly it was assumed they were a closer relative to felines.

 

[Kessel23]

I think it is fur trapping season in your area, you are able to trap and harvest grey foxes. Don't ask me how or where to get a license because I have no idea.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

What’s kinda fun about them is that when you catch one they’re not vicious like red foxes, they actually act almost tame... you can tuck they’re head under your arm and pet them.

As for trapping them... just know that they get schooled real easy, so often first attempts just educate them and then they can get really hard to catch.

If you’re serious about catching them but don’t have much experience with trapping, you might start feeding them dog food in and around a large live trap that is wired to stay open, then when they are visiting comfortably set the trap to catch them... this might take a few weeks

If you’re familiar with coil spring style traps, then use much the same set as a red fox... dirt holes sets, etc.

 

[bajabirdbrain]

We found that cat food with an egg on it, slices of hot dogs, and an occasional turkey neck are favorites of these Canadian foxes. These were BC, before chickens, tee, hee.