Life after a fox attack - do they return?

[sonkie]

My survivor "Betsy" made it through the night. My husband has been sure that the coop was secure all along, but I was worried all night. I don't know if the fox finally left after we gave up playing cat and mouse with her or if she tried to get into the coop unsuccessfully last night. I am certain she is a female with kits. My neighbors saw her carrying off baby kittens from a barn across the street a couple of weeks ago and she also tried to attack their pet cat. It did happen so fast! I went inside to change laundry and the next thing I know the neighbors are beating down my door and it was too late. Now I feel on high alert as though I'm being stalked by a predator. I quickly got attached to those chickens and now I feel such a loss.

 

[aprophet]

I trap and dispatch in town on a daily basis. It can be done and no they do not return after I take care of them.

 

[chkn]

I gotta female with a kit in the neighborhood. The kit saw them first and then came the vixen. No casualties yet but I've got some work to do. Those fox are lightening quick around the yard, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself.

 

[Primeacres]

They are lightning quick as you say, buzzards, hawks, foxes, anything predatory is patient and quick and trying to tell people without chickens what goes on in your yard or field can be hard work as many people simply do not understand, even many supposed 'experts'.

 

[Ibicella]

You can pretty much guarantee that if any kind of predator finds a chicken coop and gets lucky, it's going to be back. It's a rule of thumb.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Buzzards???

 

[Primeacres]

Woodmort. Not sure if you are asking what a Buzzard is or whether Buzzards are a threat to Chickens or if they are lightning fast as a predator ?

 

[chickbird]

Quote:
HOW DID YOU TRAP THE FOX AND WHAT BAIT DID YOU USE?

 

[churchx3]

I know a raccoon will climb but will a fox just attempt to dig in? Fox are not jumpers are they (I have 6 ft fence)?

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

Unfortunately, foxes come back. A fox or foxes killed 22 of my 24 babies the night of June 14. At least one returned right after dark on June 15. Wonderful Husband waited to see if Mr. Fox would go into the trap, but it chose to pace the fence looking for a way to my two roosters. Hubby shot the fox.

In August we were sitting outside watching for shooting stars when we saw a juvenile fox. Hubby killed two in two days. I saw one more. We figure the fox family has been reduced by one parent and two babies. At least one parent and one half-grown are still here.

I spent most of my Summer and Autumn clearing "hiding places" and reinforcing fences. I *know* it is a matter of time before another fox visits. I get up in the middle of the night and peek out windows. I even had a dream that Hubby walked into the dream and said "Wake me up. We need to go check on the chickens." When I woke him, he jumped right up and we went to check. We saw nothing, but we like to think we scared the crud out of something!

Oh, another thing: on another thread someplace on BYC, a man suggested pieces of cloth sprayed with aftershave or colonge to leave a human scent all around the yard. Predators smell the human, but can't see the human, so they get nervous and back off. I went to the Dollar Tree and purchased the stinkiest men's bodywash. My children put drops of it at different spots around the chicken run. They reapply it after a heavy rain. Gives the kids something to do to not feel helpless about protecting our pets.