It's amazing how brazen a fox can be.
My wife told me we currently have a fox that not only checks out the coop, but leaves "calling cards" on our doormat, while the dogs are on the other side of the door trying to get out! (I'm out of the country on business right now, so I'm getting this from her.) We have three large Labs, and apparently the fox waits until they're inside and then walks up, bold as can be, and makes its deposit on our doormat. Then it walks off down our driveway like it doesn't have a care in the world. We have sidelights on our front door, so they can see the fox and it can see them.
I built a run outside the coop, and put extended wire out on the bottom to prevent foxes and other critters from digging under. I also put an automatic door in the coop so they're protected at night. We live very close to the river, and I've seen raccoons, foxes, feral cats, and I know we have a skunk whose burrow is not too far off that have all tried to get into the run, unsuccessfully so far. The skunk has to be dealt with when I get home, it's sprayed my dogs twice now. Added to this, we have Eagles, Hawks, and huge Owls living in the woods on my property. I love to watch them, I just don't want to be feeding them, so no free ranging for my birds.
As unfortunate as it is, sometimes it comes down to either the chicken or the predator. And I'm not risking having a skunk or fox with rabies being right up close and personal with my dogs and kids, so when they start acting like they don't care if we're there or not it's time for them to go.
My wife told me we currently have a fox that not only checks out the coop, but leaves "calling cards" on our doormat, while the dogs are on the other side of the door trying to get out! (I'm out of the country on business right now, so I'm getting this from her.) We have three large Labs, and apparently the fox waits until they're inside and then walks up, bold as can be, and makes its deposit on our doormat. Then it walks off down our driveway like it doesn't have a care in the world. We have sidelights on our front door, so they can see the fox and it can see them.
I built a run outside the coop, and put extended wire out on the bottom to prevent foxes and other critters from digging under. I also put an automatic door in the coop so they're protected at night. We live very close to the river, and I've seen raccoons, foxes, feral cats, and I know we have a skunk whose burrow is not too far off that have all tried to get into the run, unsuccessfully so far. The skunk has to be dealt with when I get home, it's sprayed my dogs twice now. Added to this, we have Eagles, Hawks, and huge Owls living in the woods on my property. I love to watch them, I just don't want to be feeding them, so no free ranging for my birds.
As unfortunate as it is, sometimes it comes down to either the chicken or the predator. And I'm not risking having a skunk or fox with rabies being right up close and personal with my dogs and kids, so when they start acting like they don't care if we're there or not it's time for them to go.