My moms dog killed half of my flock (24 chickens)

[animalspooker]

Glad to hear it is NOT the dog. I hope you get that sucker. If you get really good at dispatching them, could you come to my house, cuz the one getting my birds is sneaky like a...well, fox.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

I am so sorry to hear of your losses. Glad to hear it was not the dog. Fox are so bold and stealthy. One took one of my chickens while I was in the yard! Yesterday I had 3 kits and their mom playing in my backyard. I got literally 25 feet from the mother yelling and waving my hands and she just sat there staring at me. No fear.

 

[AGRowles]

Now that I've killed the adult male. Do I need to worry about the female/s and kits coming around for more free lunches? Wondering if I need to sit out for a few more mornings to make sure. Total kill count was 30 birds in 2 attacks and would have been more had we not scared it off during its second attack.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

You have to worry about the mothers and other non-mating adults still living with the pack.

 

[Russ Vaughan]

I asked my mom to watch my birds this weekend because I had a wedding, and she brought her 11 y/o golden doodle. He likes to chase the birds here and there but never killed anyone. Well I get a call this morning saying there's all these dead chickens scattered about as if they had just dropped dead. We found 17 bodies but I'm missing 24; 2 or 3 had some blood in their beaks and I'm guessing the missing birds are still somewhere in the tall grass unless I'm falsely accusing the dog and something else got them. Tell me what you all think; my theory is that he pounced on them or gave them all heart attacks because they were all intact and 2 of them died hours later inside of the coop (internal injuries?). I'm not sure why I can't find the other 7 or so missing birds though. They are all free roaming birds but I've never had an issue before this except for a bobcat one weekend when the coop door frosted open.

Hello i am sorry for your loss
I do not believe any other wild animal is involved
Even when wild cats or dogs or bear kill to teach their young . They will mall the pry. Sadly your mother's dog is more likely the blame. As well no signs of harm to the bobies can be from the dog either jumping onto them as well the birds natural defence to shut down when it knows it is about to be killed by a predator.
I have raise burds for over 30 years and have had wild dogs skunks and large wild house cats attack and kill my birds
Only the wild dogs just kept killing until they were all killed but my last loss was 5 years ago when 3 wild dogs killed 68 birds and like you still one turkey and ten chickens remained unaccounted for Of these the turkey and 8 hens did later show back up tow and three days later
They will return to where the eat and nest if they can

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

It was a fox! We caught the sucker this morning at 5am nabbing a chicken and my girlfriend chased it off. There was another one dead nearby with no blood on it at all, just like before. That's the reason I thought it wasn't a fox, I thought a fox would bloody them more.

I'm going to throw the chicken back outside at 4am and sit in my window with the rifle until 7. Every morning if I have to. The fox looked small; is it normal for them to kill without drawing blood or ripping feathers out?

Foxe's are small. It is also odd to see one in daylight. Back a lifetime ago when I was in the Border Patrol, on a midnight, I watched two red foxes run around across my headlights. That was South Texas. They are everywhere. I would say they tend to be more quiet and skiddish that coyotes.

 

[GGBEAR]

I'm so confused
Lol @ Russ comments due to what has been put above

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Now that I've killed the adult male. Do I need to worry about the female/s and kits coming around for more free lunches? Wondering if I need to sit out for a few more mornings to make sure. Total kill count was 30 birds in 2 attacks and would have been more had we not scared it off during its second attack.

Nice shot! It's good you got the male.

I wouldn't under estimate the female with young. If it were me, I would still be watching. We've had more trouble with the female and young here than the male.

If you look up red foxes, in Wikipedia...it explains about their social and territorial behavior. They can live in family groups and share joint territory. I found it informative to know what one's up against. Our female always hunted behind our house in the pasture very early in the morning right up to the fence with the sheep and LGD we have. She was extremely brazen. Once the young were mobile, that's when we had problems and they didn't adhere to any specific time of the day. The pups played at the end of this farmyard starting about 7pm.

 

[Sublight]

It was a fox! We caught the sucker this morning at 5am nabbing a chicken and my girlfriend chased it off. There was another one dead nearby with no blood on it at all, just like before. That's the reason I thought it wasn't a fox, I thought a fox would bloody them more.

I'm going to throw the chicken back outside at 4am and sit in my window with the rifle until 7. Every morning if I have to. The fox looked small; is it normal for them to kill without drawing blood or ripping feathers out?

Perhaps another idea. Get a predator call. They are electronic. Kill a bunny or something, and put the body and the electronic call under a bunch of limbs or something and set off the call. The fox/coyote will hear the racket, and investigate.
Now for the upwind/downwind debate.
Coyotes normally approach from downwind. Foxes probably do, but im not 100% sure.
If you are upwind to it then you may be smelled. If you are downwind, the you will get a closer shot, but its easier for them to hear/see you. These are sneaky critters. Good luck.

 

[Chickassan]

I just really don't like foxes they wig me out.When we first moved here the little turds would just stare at you,even had one comfy enough to take a crap like ten feet away. The rabies factor alone was enough to do some "relocation"work.