My first Fox attack that ended in a kill

[Mygirls20]

My poor poor Snow White (My daughters named her) I had just adopter her and was trying to get her healthier. This stupid fox started coming by night before last attacked one of my other chickens (she is recovering and I hope she makes it) But tonight while giving my kids a bath Snow White got grabbed through a hole the size of a silver dollar and was killed before I could get to her. I am so upset I dont know what to do. I feel like I have failed my flock and didnt provide them with the perfect safe home. Also this stupid Fox is still circling my house even though I have shot him about 9 times with a bb gun even let my 150 pound dogs out to chase him off. What should I do to make him go away for good???

 

[centrarchid]

Trap fox using bird killed as bait.


Smaller faster dog would be good for next fox. Big dogs are not fast enough. Fox small with long tail simply too maneuverable.

 

[Mygirls20]

Trap fox using bird killed as bait.


Smaller faster dog would be good for next fox. Big dogs are not fast enough. Fox small with long tail simply too maneuverable.

Well one of my dogs is a dogo argentino and he actually attacked the fox tonight when the fox came back around. But I swear not 30 mins later that stupid fox was back... was even ballsy enough to walk up my porch to my front door. :/

 

[abbaschickens]

I would concerned he is not ballsy but has rabies or some other disease. It is not normal for a fox to approach.

 

[Lilslinkfarm]

Poor girl! I had a neighbors dog kill 5 of mine in one day and I was so distraught! He kept coming back for days afterwards even after BB guns and even a .22 bird shot so I did what centrarchid recommended and used one as bait in a live trap and then took care of the problem. Sorry you had to experience this, but honestly, sometimes it takes stuff like this to show us what isn't safe about our coop so we can fix it and hopefully never have to deal with loosing one that way again

 

[Mygirls20]

Ya its just so hard I have had them for months and never once had a problem :/ I hope the fox doesnt have rabies. I did read that once they get a taste of the chickens they wont stop coming. My friend has a live trap and I think I might borrow it. I am really not wanting to kill it even though it killed one of my babies... But at the same time I have to protect my chickens and the way this one is acting its not going to stop until it kills another one

 

[centrarchid]

Well one of my dogs is a dogo argentino and he actually attacked the fox tonight when the fox came back around. But I swear not 30 mins later that stupid fox was back... was even ballsy enough to walk up my porch to my front door. :/

Such a dog is too slow. Foxes have to make living hunting under nose of wolf. It is not easy when under noseof coyote.

 

[ivan3]

Mygirls20

Also this stupid Fox is still circling my house even though I have shot him about 9 times with a bb gun even let my 150 pound dogs out to chase him off. What should I do to make him go away for good???

Sorry about your poor chook (as was mentioned - might get her revenge as bait).

The Red Fox is only `sly' up to the point of biting down on the prey. A taste of poultry, in particular, often makes them go `blood simple', i.e., suicidally brazen in effort to secure the prey. This fixation of purpose, paints the offenders into the bullseye (4/10 or .22 will suffice). Any, unusual behavior (chasing you or kids instead of poultry - sketchy gait, odd vocalizations, etc.? Assume Rabies, and shoot it again - wear gloves/scub hands when.after handling vermin).

If you're in rural area you might consider looking for cache site/usual `runs' along fence lines, etc. Snares are useful if the behavior is understood. Just use Advanced Search/Posts: "fox AND hunting".
Electric fencing/hardware cloth are useful. Armed, supervised free range time is required, at some locations.

A pair of Red Fox took-off 13 SLW pullets, from our neighbor's yard, in the space of 15 minutes. I found the cache site(s) just inside our woodline, about 150yd. to the Northwest of `grab'. The den was another two hundred yards to the North of cache site (grand daughter likes the tails).

Good luck!

 

[Mygirls20]

Sorry about your poor chook (as was mentioned - might get her revenge as bait).

The Red Fox is only `sly' up to the point of biting down on the prey. A taste of poultry, in particular, often makes them go `blood simple', i.e., suicidally brazen in effort to secure the prey. This fixation of purpose, paints the offenders into the bullseye (4/10 or .22 will suffice). Any, unusual behavior (chasing you or kids instead of poultry - sketchy gait, odd vocalizations, etc.? Assume Rabies, and shoot it again - wear gloves/scub hands when.after handling vermin).

If you're in rural area you might consider looking for cache site/usual `runs' along fence lines, etc. Snares are useful if the behavior is understood. Just use Advanced Search/Posts: "fox AND hunting".
Electric fencing/hardware cloth are useful. Armed, supervised free range time is required, at some locations.

A pair of Red Fox took-off 13 SLW pullets, from our neighbor's yard, in the space of 15 minutes. I found the cache site(s) just inside our woodline, about 150yd. to the Northwest of `grab'. The den was another two hundred yards to the North of cache site (grand daughter likes the tails).

Good luck!

Thank you for the info. My friend has some chickens and he has some live traps. He is going to let me borrow it till I catch this fox then my friend will deal with him. I have never had any issues except for the last few days. and its clear to me that this one fox that got a taste of my chickens will not stop no matter how safe my coop/run is. I live in the mountains on land and back up to 300 open acres So I am use to the crazy predator life style (Mountain lions, bobcats, bears, big and little foxes, and skunks) all of the bigger foxes have never even tried to get into the coop they like to just sit on my driveway and watch the chickens. But now this little fox has moved in and it finding every little hole that he can stick his nose into. Foxes are beautiful and I love to watch them but this one has to either be relocated or killed. I did save my poor snow white and I will put her in the live trap as bait

Hoping this will work.

What about digging though? Right now the foxes dont even try to dig in cause the ground is frozen. I did line the bottom of my coop with chicken wire and 4 inch metal stakes but after seeing the drive this fox has to kill my chickens I am worried that once everything thaws it wont be enough. Should I line the ground around my coop with concrete?

 

[centrarchid]

Fox will stop if it is not catching birds. It can not afford too many futile efforts owing to energy constraints. I have had to live with foxes and it can be done even if fox not removed. I place obstacles around where fox might dig. Does not take much to stop digging. Again, fox issue of bang for buck, too much work makes chicken not worth effort no matter how tasty.