Just saw a fox lurking... what do I do??

[Cryss]

I'm thinking of a new alternative to time outs.....

 

[cmom]

We live in town. We have fox. Fox come out day and night. I have an air rifle as well as a .22 rifle. Air rifle has worked thus far to keep fox from entering warm zone near barn. If it ceases to work, .22 may come into play. I am an animal lover but I love my animals first.

I have a .22 and the shells I have for it are just as quiet as shooting a BB gun.
https://www.outdoorlimited.com/featured-brands/aguila-ammunition/aguila-specialty-22/

 

[RoosterML]

I have a .22 and the shells I have for it are just as quiet as shooting a BB gun.
https://www.outdoorlimited.com/featured-brands/aguila-ammunition/aguila-specialty-22/

Very nice, never even knew about this stuff. Learn something new everyday on BYC.

 

[cmom]

Electric fencing is a very effective deterrent to mammalian predators.

Electric fencingfencing, if allowed where you live, is a good idea.

Fox tend to go over a fence. If over isn't working they are great diggers.

Do you have an apron on your run?

I have kids in the yard all the time so I don't think electric fencing is an option. I don't know much about it though. We are in the middle of the city so shooting is not such a viable option. Maybe I'll try some of that urine. as an added deterrent. We see foxes all over the place so I think that trapping/killing is just going to be a game of whack-a-mole.

I agree that electric wire works. Teach the kids not to touch it or put a switch on it so you can turn it off. It will not damage the kids but if they were to touch the electric wire, they would get a shock but nothing serious. I have touched mine when I have forgotten to turn it off. The foxes here tend to be diggers. I have never had one go over any of my fences but one dug under a gate so I put concrete under all of my gates.

 

[rehsanipoor]

Is digging the most typical way for foxes to gain entry or are they like raccoons who could probably break into my fingerprint safe? I have aprons all around (inside and outside in some places.) We were struggling with rats before and I went a little overboard with the hardware cloth before resorting to poison (btw that stuff was a miraculous overnight solution). Guess I'm glad now that the rats gave me the motivation to put down so much hardware cloth! Who knew it, the rats were a blessing in disguise!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Is digging the most typical way for foxes to gain entry or are they like raccoons who could probably break into my fingerprint safe? I have aprons all around (inside and outside in some places.) We were struggling with rats before and I went a little overboard with the hardware cloth before resorting to poison (btw that stuff was a miraculous overnight solution). Guess I'm glad now that the rats gave me the motivation to put down so much hardware cloth! Who knew it, the rats were a blessing in disguise!

I think going over vs going under depends on the individual.

Here in the suburbs where every yard has fences they try over before under. Under takes a little time and effort while over is a fast way in or out of a yard.

Lots of dogs in my area so over is a much faster and safer way out of an occupied yard.

 

[cmom]

Yes. Unplug the fence when they're out and about, plug it back in when they come in if they are little. As they get older, tell them not to touch the fence or it will hurt them. (It really doesn't hurt for long - more of a sharp startle effect. Go ahead - ask me how I know... ) My kids grew up playing in a yard that was bordered by the electric fence that kept my horses in. When they were too little to really understand, I unplugged it. As they got older, they listened when I told them not to touch it. For a time, anyway. Then they learned on their own why they should respect it. It's not going to cause them permanent damage. It only hurts for the time it shocks you, which is about a second or less. Most (if not all) electric fences pulse. It's not a steady shock. The pulse gives whatever is touching it a chance to break away.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm thinking of a new alternative to time outs.....

There ya go! (I like the way you think!)

 

[ellenscoop]

Foxes can kill your entire flock if you're not careful. Here is an infographic with some good tips about how to protect your chickens from them - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/poultry-predator-the-red-fox

 

[cmom]

I see this one most every night on a game camera.