Hen: 1 Foxes: 0 GO TEAM!!!!

[EggGardener]

DH heard a strange noise the other day and looked out the window--there, in broad daylight on the deck, a fox had one of our hens pinned down with its front paws, and was tearing feathers out!! The strange noise was the fox trying to spit out the feathers, I think.
He ran out, threw his hat at the fox (which didn't move an inch), then threw a rock at it, and it let go of the hen, which ran away, fast!!
She is missing two patches of feathers, but its been a week and she is otherwise completely fine!!!

 

[pigcoon]

Wow it's great that she survived that attack!

 

[patyrdz]

oooo, foxes on the porch in the day!?! Get the gun!!!

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Last year we had a moma fox come right by me and my husband sitting under a tree. There were some hens in the bushes scratching around and the fox didn't see us. It got within 10 feet of us headed for the hens before we scared her off.

 

[vortec]

Quote:
Thats what I would reach for. Foxes are pretty if they are taxidermied( stuffed ) just not when they are attacking chickens, lol

vortec

 

[Attack Chicken]

So true! Or a nicely tanned pelt.

 

[mmtillman]

Well...so much for ''assuming'' that my girls would be safe during the day.

I had just assumed that the foxes living in the old barn behind us would do all their hunting at night and would never be so bold as to attack during the broad daylight!!

Glad you posted this , so I will know not to assume to know the behavior of predators !!! Thanks!! Glad your hen got away!!

 

[Pop]

Last year while mowing my lawn I noticed a coyote about 50' away in the nearby field catching mice. I shut the mower off to watch but the coyote starting paying attention to me. As soon as I started the mower again he went back to mousing catching. I left the mower running and retrieved the 12 gauge. Daytime they "mouse" night time they like chicken. One less chicken thief.

 

[EggGardener]

A neighbors' dog had been roaming around at night for the past week. We think that the fox, unable to hunt normally, got desperate. Either that or it was rabid. If it had grabbed the chicken and ran the other way, towards the woods, we never would have known.
It was strange that it ran towards the house w/the chicken....and good luck for her!

 

[EggGardener]

I agree about the gun--but who hangs out on a sunny afternoon with a loaded shotgun at the ready? It was so unexpected. Rocks did the trick.