Lights/Deterrents for Foxes

[McChooky]

Does anyone know if flashing lights will scare a fox away? Or any other deterrent we can put up quickly while working on our hardware cloth? We have an electric poultry fence creating a large area for our chickens, and then a run attached to the coop, and last night there was a fox inside the fencing (not the run). I guess the fence got grounded by the snow and possibly the fox figured out to jump over it. I have a hardware cloth skirt on some sections of the run, but I haven’t been able to finish it yet due to weather. Our coop is a horse stall in our barn that faces the outside, so it might be possible for a fox to dig in there if they can dig under the run. I’m just hoping the ground is frozen enough right now that it can’t do that. This ended up longer than I intended; my chickies are my babies and I’m so distressed. Especially since we’ve had the electric fence for two and a half years and this is our first breach. Thanks I’m advance.

Bricks, concrete blocks or patio pavers will work if you have access to any of those. If a fox (or other predator) can get inside the barn it can dig under the coop from inside (not just the run)

 

[Krugerrand]

As you can't kill foxes, as it's illegal, I would consider a live trap and relocating the animal about 30 miles away. There's not a chance it will come back and you will not have to worry about it anymore and you didn't do anything illegal. We wouldn't want to do anything like that. It's good for everyone, the fox, you, and your chickens, and other animals if you have any.

You may want to re-think that advice. Fox can be trapped and dispatched in PA. (other state laws vary.) They should not be relocated. it is NOT good for the fox.

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Pages/NuisanceWildlife.aspx
Pennsylvania Game Commission: PGC > Wildlife > Nuisance Wildlife
Since skunks – as well as raccoons, bats, groundhogs, foxes and coyotes – are rabies vector species, they should not be relocated like other wildlife. Homeowners who set traps and catch these species face the choice of dispatching the animal or releasing it. Releasing any of these animals can be a risky situation. There's the chance of being bitten or scratched or you could be sprayed by a skunk. If bitten or scratched, the wildlife will need to be tested for rabies.