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
