My first Fox attack that ended in a kill

[Shellz]

Yeah, you can't put a price on sentimentality. I give my birds very generic names. I need to be able to say, who's who, when there's a need to treat, or separate problem birds. Like I had to a couple days ago. My fave hen got raked pretty bad by one of the bad roos. (Getting processed this weekend) 2 open wounds. Got her fixed up & put her with my oldest hen. Since the 2 are in the old duck house, I can't reach their eggs as easily, so now I fear broodiness may have set in. Egads! Lol! Like I need more birds!

 

[Mygirls20]

3 NH reds I showed them a picture my daughters even went in there crying and told them about the death of their fav chicken. They also mentioned that they were sad the fox had to die but explained that it needed to be done (I was so proud for how young they are they really grasped what I was trying to teach them) We hadnt been to my husbands work since it happened cause he was out of town. Its a small family company so these people are also our friends my girls know them very well. One guy even told my 3 year old "it servers her right" when she said snow white died. I love how they all dont care about the poor chickens death and the one that got horribly attacked through the fence (or even my childrens safety) but they care about the fox so much. Two of the people that work there are gun owners why have a gun if your not going to use it. They all told me that my kill wasnt justified cause I made my coop/run safer and it was doubtful the fox would have killed again and that the fox would have never ever hurt my kids.

My children were terrified to leave the house even if it was just to walk to my car. What am I suppose to say to them sorry babies the fox scares you but I dont want to hurt anyones feelings by killing it so we are just going to have to live with it. (I am the type of mommy that checks the closet for monsters I even play games with them to make sure they arent scared)

I guess I just grew up different my dad would shoot the neighbors dogs if they even got close to our chicken coop. He also slaughter lambs and we ate them. I have respect for animals lives I was sad whenever we killed something and ate it but I was also a ton more thankful for my food not wanting to waste anything since I personally knew the animal and that it died to feed us. Thats what I want my kids to learn as well. People are so wasteful with food cause they never see where it comes from or know the animal they are eating.

As far as the men being wimpy I have never seen them in that way. They all BBQ drink beer shoot the S!** and talk a big game. But I guess when it comes down to putting on the big boy pants for real they wimp out. I have already had a conversation with my husband about standing up for me even if he doesnt agree with what I say or do... I do it for him But I guess when your surrounded with your friends and co-workers you dont want to piss everyone off (I am not like that I am a hell-cat when someone messes with my friends or family)

Like I said I just wont tell anyone about anything anymore but to you guys I am tired of fighting they will never understand or see my point until they go through something like that themselves OH well you cant fix stupid.

 

[Mygirls20]

Shellz sorry about your hen

What a mean bad roo. Again I am scared to get a rooster lol. I hope she recovers for you. And there are never too many chickens lol

 

[JackE]

Ya I agree if it was a coyote everyone would tell me to kill it and be glad I did but since its a cute little fox everyone it upset. Does anyone watch animal planet anymore. People forget what they can do and how wild they are. I think people need to post more pics of their dead torn up chickens then maybe people will wake up "omg a fox did that how gruesome, poor little chicken" Again if I was complaining that a fox killed my new born baby lamb or something people would be more understanding. Everyone loves the eggs I give them say they are the best they have ever tasted. Do they forget that the chickens that I take care of every single day for hours on end and spoil the crap out of laid those eggs?

My girls and I have become really attached to our chickens and when we get meat chickens it will be the same way. they are a part of our family and it is my job to protect them against anything just like I do with my kids and dogs. The whole topic is extremely frustrating to me. This is why I believe everyone should own a farm animal snap back to reality and understand how the world works.


I dont want to cause anymore problems with the neighbor I am going to build new coops and these will be anything proof. I am going to dig a foot trench around the coops/runs and pour concrete into it. Then do four layers of fencing also the coop will be wood on the bottom so nothing will get in and hopefully it will be better insulated. I will post pics when I start building hopefully it will go according to what I am thinking in my head haha. And when my chickens free range I will be out there with my daughters and Foxy (my .22)

I remember the day we had our first fox attack. We had gotten away with letting the birds freerange for almost a full year. They were let out every day to wander to their heart's content. My daughter came home from school one day, and usually she was always greeted by the chickens, they would all come running up to see her. And later in the day, they would do the same thing for me. Not this day, she just saw piles of different colored feathers scattered all over the yard. You could see where the attack started, out by the woods, then you could see the birds made a run for the house, and you could see where each one met it's end. The chickens were gone, 7 out of the 9 we had then. We found the last pullet and the rooster in the coop, hiding in a nest box. That was not a good day.

We got more chickens, and changed the way we did things. We didn't let them out unless somebody was there with them. That kinda stunk for the birds because they didn't get out everyday. We did this for a few months, the new birds got older and just started laying eggs. Then one day the birds were out, and we had to leave the house and go do some errands. Well, sure enough, another attack. This time, again my daughter comes home in the middle of the attack. Piles of feathers, and this time dead and dying birds laying around. She sees the fox carrying off one of them. She gathers up the others along with the wounded and dying, and calls me up and tells me what's happening. We lost 9 that time and it was even worse than the last time, trying to save the badly injured chickens. They ended up dying. I swear it's like the fox were waiting for their chance. They had an opportunity, and they took advantage of it.

So after those attacks, and seeing my daughter have to go through it. I have very little sympathy for a fox. I tried trapping them, but had no luck with that. If I can get to a gun when I see one, he's finished. I ended up getting 400' of electrified poultry netting, and surrounded the coop with it. THAT's the best thing, I believe, that I have done for these birds. It has been up almost a year. The birds get to come out everyday, and I have had no more losses. Mygirls20, you are totally in the right here, as far as the foxes and the coyotes go. I would recommend a bigger rifle for the yotes. Something like a Mini-14. Real easy to shoot, doesn't kick real hard and accurate.
Jack

 

[Ken Cook]

We had foxes the last time we had chickens.

I called Wild Life and Fisheries, They told me I could not shot or trap them.

So I called Agriculture and Forestry. They sent out a State Trapper he wore a badge like a State Trooper. This guy was like Danial Boon a real woodsman. He walked around our property and decided it was Foxes about how many and where they were crossing the fence. He put out agout 8 to 10 wire snares. He did not use bait of any kind. We caught 5 foxes over about 2 weeks. They are slick little animals. I had to shoot everyone of them as they would almost pass all the way through the snare before it would tighten around their waistline, leaving them alive.

The only problem with the method he used is it does not discrimenate. We caught Possems, House cats and stray dogs, all caught around the neck. I guess they are all predators.

Foxes smell like skunks. If you smell skunk, look closely at the tree line. You may have a fox watching you.

Foxes will keep coming back untill your coop is empty.

Good Luck

 

[Mygirls20]

Jack so sorry about your chickens It sucks when stuff like that happens :/ I am terrified to let me birds free range especially because of the hawks we dont really have any good hiding spots for the chickens just rocks and pine trees. So I think they will have to be guarded by me when they are out this summer. I was thinking about getting a bigger gun I think I really need to but now I have to do another background check from a new gun so it will be another week or so of waiting blah!! I think once you do one background check you shouldnt have to do another.

Ken cook ya foxes stink sssooo bad. I always smell skunk whenever I go outside and right next to my coop it reeks of skunk. I have already killed one fox but still keep finding fresh scat and tracks in the snow there is another one out there but I havent seen it so far I can just smell him. Kinda sucks your area wont let you protect your live stock... ya I dont like to use snares a animal slowly strangling its self just doesnt sit right with me (I am not saying its the wrong thing to do I would just rather put a bullet it the brain)

I am hoping to catch this last one in a live trap or just sit on my porch and wait for it with the .22 Everyone thought chicken poop stinks foxes are way worse lol

 

[ocap]

interesting one branch of the goverment has no idea what the other branch can legally do, so ..... you can ask the right question to the wrong person and get bad information. Someone also told me not to ask the question if I did not want to know the answer.

 

[Shellz]

So true, Ken. They will always come back!
JackE, your story could have been mine. It was always me though, that found all the feathers blowing around. Ugh! Brings back those horrid memories! This year, I have a dog that's trained to stay off the road. So he gets free range with the chickens if I have to leave the property. I wasn't as confident last year to leave him out, when I went out. So of course, that's when the fox attacked! My last episode with the fox, was when I went for a walk in my woods. Well, the dogs followed me, and the chickens went crazy! I (not licensed yet to shoot) ran back to the chickens to find a frickin' fox with a pullet in its mouth! My little dog chased the fox (other one, bigger one didn't follow me home) and I found that pullet 2 days later. My little pug mutt got the fox to drop it. I doubt I could have saved her, even if I had found her right away.
So it would seem to me, those who don't raise poultry, will NEVER understand or have sympathy for us! Let them eat the garbage that passes for food in the stores. I don't care! I live in paradise and I don't need anyone else's approval! MyGirls, just think what a better life YOU guys really have, and not worry what these jerks think! Having a better life is the ultimate revenge! They are not worth the energy! Trust me!

 

[Shellz]

Ok, gov't stuff. Here in Ontario, we have the MNR. If we as citizens,( for whatever reason), cannot shoot or trap a nuisance animal, the MNR will give you a number of a licensed trapper in your area, to do the deed. It's all in the wording. Ken never did the trapping. Wildlife & Fisheries told him he, himself couldn't do it. They should have at least done what the Ag & Forestry folks did, and just send a trapper Ken's way!

 

[Steemroo]

Wow, some people just will not lodge the Disney movie out of their minds and look at real nature, instead.

if the day comes when these people might actually go hungry if the pest/predator wins, they'll change their tune, fast (or starve),.

See, when a person's city job pays the bills and this i s just a hobby, they can afford to "be at one with nature" and pay for the gasoline it takes to drive live trapped raccoons and foxes and mice 60 miles away to release (and then make them someone else's problem).

Dolfinlover - you would really tolerate an aggressive fox coming on your porch?

Mygitls, those people sick - telling your children snow White should have died. Insane zealots. This is the same mentality that made Puritanism burn witches 350 years who in New England. Disgusting. Yeah, the idiots just plain don't know how food gets on their table - and they've gone stupid. It alarms me that they can vote.