Hawks or Fox?

[Waltzing Matilda]

Between my neighbor and I, we have had 8 chickens come up missing in a week's time. Yesterday, was the third one for me, however, there were feathers scattered from one of the small coops through chicken wire stapled to 3 board fencing out into my horse pasture. I never saw any traces of the other ones. Can someone out there tell me whether this would be a fox or hawk? I do hear fox cry sounds every night out back towards my neighbor's house--her house is towards the back 40 of my property where it is wooded. If it's a fox, I plan on running parameter electric both on top of the board fencing and on the outside bottom. I ordered some solar eyes today. I plan on laying in wait, if it's a fox, this weekend along with a .223. I have seen fox in the evening during the summer, but only now has this become an issue. Since I do have very expensive rare breeds also, I need to protect them to the best of my capabilities. The 8 rb boys do free range around the house, but the girls are in a fenced area within the boarded area.

 

[dfriloux]

I have read that a hawk will defecate at the time of the kill leaving a whitewash spray nearby.

from: http://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-predators.html

Here's what it says about a fox:

There is a reason that you hear all of the old phrases about foxes and hen houses. They are a chicken predator that is good at getting to your chickens.

Foxes are sly, and will stake out a chicken coop for weeks before making their strike. They are also quite good at what they do.

They can dig like a dog and can climb almost like a cat, getting over fences that you never thought that they could.

When foxes get in to the coop they usually clean house as well. As the birds get excited and worked up seeing the fox in the coop, the fox gets worked up as well.

The result is that every bird the fox can get to will usually be killed. The fox will get as many as he can out of the coop and take them with him.

How will I know that it was a fox that killed my chickens?

The birds will often have: a broken neck, there will be several gone, feathers will be strewn on the ground, you will find feathers away from the coop.


Good luck to you.