I only free range my chickens when there is someone home. This summer, with my stepson being unemployed again, he has been here all summer, so the ladies have been out every day.
Yesterday, right after lunch, he seen a fox in the neighbor's yard. He went outside, shot and missed the fox, but scared it away. He kept a vigilant eye on the chickens the rest of the day.
About 5 pm yesterday, hubby and two of the boys were home. They were in the living room watching TV and my stepson jumped up and ran outside, this darn fox had my EE in its mouth. The fox let the chicken go when the front door opened up. Now, this happens to be my hubby's favorite chicken (Sadie). She ran up on the porch and squatted down, the fox went in the culvert under the driveway. Hubby had my 20 gauge (handy and already loaded). He shot into the culvert, scared the fox out and dispatched it in the road. My poor hubby emptied this gun on this fox, he was so mad.
When I got home, and seen this fox, it was PITIFUL looking. I have never seen a critter as mangey and bald as this poor guy, and he was nothing but skin stretched over bone. You could definitely tell that he was HUNGRY and sickly to boot and had that terrible odor that a dog gets when it has Parvo. I removed it and discarded it well away from anyone's homes.
I am very glad to report that Sadie made it, and has not a single scratch that I can find on her. She was so shook up over it that when my hubby went to pick her up and check her over, she just let him do it. She has never warmed up to being touched. When I got home, she (who is usually one of the last to go in the coop) was already roosted for the night, and was still pretty scared. I picked her up, and checked her over again for any injury. I didn't find a single thing. She is missing a huge chunk of feathers on her neck, and has several that are broken off right there, but otherwise, she is fine. My hubby squatted down in the run with her, all by theirselves, and hand fed her a handful of her favorite treat (raisins) and she let him pet her for a few minutes.
Up until this summer, we have had zero predator issues. This summer, we have had a hawk attempt, two snakes in the nest boxes, lost my favorite hen to a car, a cat, opossums, and now a fox.
Yesterday, right after lunch, he seen a fox in the neighbor's yard. He went outside, shot and missed the fox, but scared it away. He kept a vigilant eye on the chickens the rest of the day.
About 5 pm yesterday, hubby and two of the boys were home. They were in the living room watching TV and my stepson jumped up and ran outside, this darn fox had my EE in its mouth. The fox let the chicken go when the front door opened up. Now, this happens to be my hubby's favorite chicken (Sadie). She ran up on the porch and squatted down, the fox went in the culvert under the driveway. Hubby had my 20 gauge (handy and already loaded). He shot into the culvert, scared the fox out and dispatched it in the road. My poor hubby emptied this gun on this fox, he was so mad.
When I got home, and seen this fox, it was PITIFUL looking. I have never seen a critter as mangey and bald as this poor guy, and he was nothing but skin stretched over bone. You could definitely tell that he was HUNGRY and sickly to boot and had that terrible odor that a dog gets when it has Parvo. I removed it and discarded it well away from anyone's homes.
I am very glad to report that Sadie made it, and has not a single scratch that I can find on her. She was so shook up over it that when my hubby went to pick her up and check her over, she just let him do it. She has never warmed up to being touched. When I got home, she (who is usually one of the last to go in the coop) was already roosted for the night, and was still pretty scared. I picked her up, and checked her over again for any injury. I didn't find a single thing. She is missing a huge chunk of feathers on her neck, and has several that are broken off right there, but otherwise, she is fine. My hubby squatted down in the run with her, all by theirselves, and hand fed her a handful of her favorite treat (raisins) and she let him pet her for a few minutes.
Up until this summer, we have had zero predator issues. This summer, we have had a hawk attempt, two snakes in the nest boxes, lost my favorite hen to a car, a cat, opossums, and now a fox.
