I hate foxes!...foxes 5 humans 0

[waggis]

My lovely australorpe hen was taken this afternoon. She was the matron of the flock. She mothered some campine chicks and looked out for predators before we had any roosters. Poor Blackie, it may have happened as we were resetting the fox trap.

So far we have lost 3 Isa Browns that we raised from eggs and a sweet little bantam that we only had for a couple of weeks and now Blackie one of our original chooks.

They hate being cooped up, so I let them free range all day, I am home most of the time and they keep me company around the place. Apart from keeping them locked up any good methods of trapping them? I have had no luck with the fox trap that I have hired. I thought they were supposed to come at night or in the morning, this fox always strikes from about 2pm, but not sure exactly when Blackie was taken.

Feelin sad.

 

[Sjisty]

Hi Waggis -

I'm sorry you are losing your friends. I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I lost seven chickens in two days to a fox. We placed four traps and never caught him. Hubby built a new run and we stopped free-ranging the chickens for about three weeks, but they were so unhappy that we finally relented and let them out again. The fox must have been just moving through because we never saw him again. I'm assuming he left when we took away his chicken buffet. He usually struck between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and was swift and silent. If I hadn't seen him myself, I would never have known what it was taking my full grown large fowl chickens!

Good luck! They are very hard to trap.

 

[chicks4kids]

So sorry to hear about your loss.

The only thing that I can offer is some advice with the trap. Conceal it with brush, branches, etc. to make it look more like a den...then throw a fish in there or something of that sort. The more hidden and secluded that "cubby" looks to a fox, the more apt it'll be to go in there. Sometimes it can take a fox a few days to "trust" that new den...they're sly like that

Good luck!

 

[CariLynn]

This is why my 11 have a large 100ft round pen to run, scratch and walk around in during the day that I can see right out my back windows or door. I don't think they are unhappy and have room and I have piece of mind. Unfortunately, you let them free roam, you will continue to loose them.

Like you, we have foxes too. The other day I was sitting out with the chickens reading a book when I looked up and watched an adolescent fox trot by along our fence line. I got the husband out, told him what I saw, as the chickens are close enough to the back of the corner of our pasture that I worry they may learn to hop over the chicken fence, so he went out and shot one of the adolescents. There is another one and the mother, but for now, they have a pass as long as I do not see them that close or they harm one of my flock.

My one neighbor is pretty sore at me for shooting the fox, she doesn't understand that if they get into a coop, they kill everything in it because they can, not because they are hungry or need it. Her and I are already having words as she puts out old food to rot, attracting the vultures. She also feeds anything wild that comes along and we have already had problems with a sow bear and two cubs and the big male bear...not sure what to do as if I call Fish and Game and have them come out, she will know who did it.

 

[waggis]

Thanks for your sympathy and advice. I was locking the chooks up till the kids got home from school after the usual fox visiting time, but the egg production dropped off and they did not seem happy. I am outside a lot of the time and so far we have lost on average one chicken per month. Although we have lost 2 in the past 3 weeks and one other due to illness. It is fast and the chook just disappears, I would know it was a fox except that we have seen it on several occasions when it has not had a meal.

I miss my big black waddling australorpe. The kids have suggested trying to incubate a couple of her eggs, I don't know what a australorpe x campine will look like, or even if the eggs will be fertile. I will candle them after a few days.