Missing chickens mystery

[LaFleche]

I know it happens but I haven't had any losses for quite a long time. I'm not the average backyard chicken owner. Currently I have around 400 birds minus 10 now. I started keeping chickens around 50 years ago and over the years have had many lessons learned the hard way. This is another lesson.

 

[McChooky]

Red foxes mate and form pairs every winter and stay together until they raise a litter (between December and February) They'll hunt up to 20 miles from their dens to protect their cubs so you might not find a den close by.

 

[cmom]

I have seen the female on camera many times. They do have routes and routines. Now I have seen a couple of kits that are now out hunting for themselves. I know they will all be back but have also seen a coyote and have noticed the same with them. One that had an injured right front foot was coming around quite often. A neighbor had seen it too. Apparently it got hit by a car.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I recently learned that foxes smell like skunk sometimes. Did you smell anything like that?

 

[McChooky]

A lone coyote wouldn't have taken this many chickens so its safe to assume it was the young kits . Because they're inexperienced they take risks an older fox wouldn't take.I smelled a red fox in my backyard recently but still haven't seen it on my camera.Coyotes and foxes don't usually hunt in the same territory.Coyotes kill them.

 

[McChooky]

I recently learned that foxes smell like skunk sometimes. Did you smell anything like that?

A grey fox doesn't stink or mark its territory the same way a red fox will.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

A grey fox doesn't stink or mark its territory the same way a red fox will.

They must have meant red foxes when we were talking. Those are what we have anyways out where I am, for the most part

 

[cmom]

I recently learned that foxes smell like skunk sometimes. Did you smell anything like that?

I have eliminate some that have killed some of my birds in the past and yes they did stink. As long as they leave my birds alone I leave them alone. If they give it a try again I will eliminate them. One of the cameras at the coops went off last night but I didn't see what had set it off.

 

[McChooky]

They must have meant red foxes when we were talking. Those are what we have anyways out where I am, for the most part

We have both but the grey is rare.

 

[McChooky]

The batteries went out in my camera so I ordered new ones then secured my hardware cloth better today. One attack could wipe my little flock out!