Killing Foxes - DIY

[Howard E]

To the OP.....are electric fences allowed in the UK?



Can you see the blue shed in the background of this photo? Neighbor who owns the shed told me a momma fox raised 4 kits under that shed. Either she, one of the kids or a replacement is still seen in the neighborhood all the time. Yet I've never lost a bird to a fox.....coyote, coon, stray dog or other. Have yet to lose a single bird to a predator of any kind. Pop door on the house stays open when I'm around and birds are free to roam about, inside a protected yard area. Protected mostly by this........



A blazing hot 4 wire electric fence. They tangle with that fence and quickly decide no chicken is worth another dose of that.

BTW, I have enough lethal weapons around here to take down anything from a field mouse to a moose......and yet never have. (One persistent skunk who kept digging into the barn to eat the cats food being the lone exception). Due to the fence, I don't have to.

 

[janz70]

They can be shot over here as long as the shooter has a firearms licence and appropriate calibre gun to kill the animal cleanly. Plus the land owners consent and it’s safe to do so within the environment.



Lots of shooters over here and probably more than you think. Look for pest control in your area as many of these are licensed to shoot foxes. Please be aware though that if you take this one out more are likely to move into your area. I would not recommend poisoning it as you can’t be sure that that particular Fox would get the bait and not another unsuspecting animal.
Here are a few my son and his dad have shot in and around our village ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/foxes.7427873/

How far up in the North East are you?

Hi near trimdon elwick hartlepool

 

[janz70]

When it comes to killing predators, I have been on both sides of the fence (pun intended).

Killing a known individual will simply open up the territory for another to occupy.

Recipe for frustration... and possible disaster.

My opinion, best to secure you defences and sleep well knowing your flock is secure, or stop complaining and accept the losses when the come, and they will eventually.

I dont mind the odd chicken loss on occasion, it comes with the territory but presume the same fox came in last year and killed all but 3 of my flock of 26 chickens that were free ranging and that was in daylight. I have spent a lot of money getting the numbers back but they now know there is a food scource and keep coming back - if any chicken does not return to the coop at night where they are locked up mr fox is having dinner.

 

[janz70]

To the OP.....are electric fences allowed in the uk

Hi, electric fences are allowed in uk but I dont have the funds as the coop/run is in an open field with no supply so an off grid battery one is required, plus the ones I have seen are only 4 feet high and a fox will jump that easily.

Guess I will just have to stop the free ranging for now , even though its a mud pit.

 

[lazy gardener]

pay attention to your surroundings and if you know wolves are known to be in the area just pay attention. Go slow. binoculars help. They are more afraid of you then you are of them. If they smell you they will leave the area. I have read a lot about wolves.

much easier said then done, reading and having real world experience are two very different things. knowledge from books is important but it means nothing without real world experiences.

Agreed with C&H. Reading is so very different than experiencing.

 

[Howard E]

The fence shown is not 4 feet high......more like 20 to 24 inches. A 4 strand wire fence. Fox does not try to jump, but tries to crawl under or through instead and gets themselves zapped in the process.

Last winter, noticed tracks in the snow where what looked to be a fox did exactly that, it crawled under. On the inside it left what looked like a wide scratched set of tracks coming out from under the fence in a hasty manner......like tire tracks when you peel out on gravel....... then a skip of about 5 feet before it came down to pace about in a tight little circle. It then made one round around the fence trying to find an alternative way out. When it did leave, it paced back and forth several times, then jumped over. All easy to read from the tracks in the snow. Snow lasted about 5 days and it never came back.

This one is powered by a 12 volt car battery. One charge lasts several months. The solar version never runs dry.

 

[Howard E]

BTW, note I did list this as the option I use to keep chickens safe, and not harm the predators. Aside from depending on forbearance and/or accepting losses when they renege, dispatching the fox is an option. Most likely a short term temporary solution until he is replaced, but an option.

If you go that route, one of the most effective and inexpensive options is to trap him with a snare. If the killing type are allowed, use one of those to save you the unpleasant job of doing it yourself.

 

[janz70]

Killing the fox is not something I take lightly, I would dearly love for us all to coexist but the chicken dinner appears to be to much temptation for him.

I will get saving for the electric fence or perhaps a trap

 

[GKMy]

PLEASE DO NOT KILL THE FOX!!!!!!! contact animal control and RELOCATE IT!!!! due to so many people being to lazy to fox proof their chicken coops or CALL ANIMAL CONTROL we have barley any foxes left in our area. this saddens me, its only a small animal looking for food. people also stop them from eating chickens by feeding them a little! they are just trying to survive! if anything we should be killing wolves! they are actually dangerous to PEOPLE!!!

So those of us who have had chickens killed by fox are to lazy huh, its so nice of you to judge! I suggest you save the the please, please, please BS and realize there just may be good reasons.
Most people aren't going to kill the fox without having tried to exhaust all other options including as myself and sometimes there is only one option left.
Fox aren't always lovely cute fury little creatures. Sometimes they are diseased and sometimes they are pushed to the point that they feel they need to take the risk to get a meal or even release that natural instinct to just run its prey down for no reason.
I myself had done everything I could to protect my flock but that doesn't much matter when out of desperation a fox decides to attack and kill five chickens in broad daylight one a Sunday morning. I wasn't home at the time but my daughter was and she wound up face to face with that fox because she did what was a natural thing for her and that was to try to save the chickens. Now this fox had been around many other times besides this day but it was always at night when the birds were locked up so this attack was a act of desperation that would be repeated. My daughter chased the fox off once but when I returned home my daughter was still outside and the fox sitting in the drive leading back to my neighbors old farm. I went to chase the fox away again and I was literally within fifteen feet of it before it slowly retreated. I watched it go off into the woods and just when I thought it was gone it was back within ten minutes and didn't sat down and stared at me, it didn't care. In PA if an animal is killing your livestock you have full rights to kill that attacking animal and after contacting the State and getting an answer that they basically won't help I took it into my own hands so I wouldn't have any more losses. So sometimes there are no other options to take and when it becomes your turn in having your chickens slaughtered, I hope that you just stand there and watch because God forbid something more drastic be required.

 

[janz70]

well said - my run is 20 x 20 feet made with 6 feet high metal security fencing with the bottom 2 feet doubled up with avairy mesh extending 2 feet outside this on the floor and covered in hand dug rocks to prevent digging. The coop is a 6x4 wooden shed 6 feet high with locks on door, external nest boxes and windows, so hardly being lazy.
Its the free ranging that leaves them vunerable or if they dont come in on a night and decide to take cover under bushes etc - most are ex battery hens so to me giving them time to free range is very important.

Unfortunately the fox has had a few easy meals now and will return again and again, catching and killing it is the only option left - relocation as mentioned is worse.

I know another fox will eventualy move into the vaccated territory as they all have litter and they all must find somewhere but at least they wont be used to having free lunch at my place and by then I should have my new run sorted out - a 50x50 feet run made with pallets 4 feet high (2 inch gaps between boards) and to this I am adding 3 feet of chicken wire with overhang to prevent climbing so even when they are out they ill be safe.