HELP! URGENT EMERGENCY

[Anonymous__]

3 of my chickens have gone missing one at a time so we assumed a fox took them because they never came back and we put white vinegar and pepper powder mix all around our property, have a constant flickering light around the coop, and radio playing while they are out, I was with them for a big majority of the time they were out but took a 10 minute break inside right before I was planning to gather them back in the coop and most of the chickens were gone. I found a few chickens and two white feather piles and two are still missing, a solid white chicken and a orange-buff to white (gradiant and partially buff laced (her tail was the whitest)) chicken. Any idea of how I can stop this from happening and is there any chance the orange-buff and white chicken is still alive?

 

[nuthatched]

I'm sorry for your losses.
Pepper and vinegar won't do anything, neither will the lights or radio.
it could be Fox or Coyote if you're in North America, it will keep coming back. You need to secure your birds in a run.

 

[Anonymous__]

I heard they don't like strong scents or talking, I am in South America/Dc area and have seen foxes passing by. They don't have a big run and I don't have the materials to expand it so I always let them free-roam, is there any other option to stop the predator from coming back?

 

[nuthatched]

I heard they don't like strong scents or talking, I am in South America/Dc area and have seen foxes passing by. They don't have a big run and I don't have the materials to expand it so I always let them free-roam, is there any other option to stop the predator from coming back?

Not much besides getting a dog, or only letting them free roam when you're out. Even then, a desperate Fox might not care.

 

[Anonymous__]

Well, thanks for the advice. I guess I need to invest in a bigger run for them.. Also, is possible for a rooster to fend off predators like this one? I was also planning on getting some geese or peacocks to scare away predators, do you think a fox would back off if I did get some? Also, thank you for the advice even though there isn't very much, I don't want to lose anymore chickens because I really loved those them and they are pets to me and my family (they always followed us around, too lol).

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Chances are "poor" for the rooster or any big bird. Not zero, but not good either. Chances are So-So on the dog. You need to know what's taking them first - and once you know, you can then trap it, kill it, etc. Other animals may, or may not, be effective deterrents or at least alerts to predators in the area.

 

[McChooky]

The better you protect them the better the odds they'll survive.Your choice.Good luck!

 

[bobbi-j]

Roosters, geese and guineas are poor protection against most predators. At best, they are an alarm system before becoming a speed bump before the rest of the flock is taken. The most effective thing you can do is keep your chickens in a secure run.

 

[McChooky]

I heard they don't like strong scents or talking, I am in South America/Dc area and have seen foxes passing by. They don't have a big run and I don't have the materials to expand it so I always let them free-roam, is there any other option to stop the predator from coming back?

I attached a little 4 x 6 "grow out" pen to the coop I made last spring so my baby chicks could go outside when they feathered out. That's all they had until I finished the 8 x 16 run.
Because they were picking their feathers out in the little grow out pen I put the chickens in the run before it was completed.