PLEASE help, foxes!

[chucken3000]

we live in the woods and have seen foxes around, but chased them off and hadnt seen them for a while. A few nights ago, one of my chickens was left outside on accident when i locked up the coop for the night. She was eaten by a fox. The next day, we let the chickens out to free range in the evening as we usually do, and another one was eaten by a fox. We planned on shooting all the foxes, but a neighbor told me that there are a LOT of them. We could just keep them in their fox-proof coop all day, but that/s not very good for the chickens and we dont want to do that. Is there any way we could put them in moveable runs where they could still forage yet not be eaten? or is killing the foxes the only solution? Dogs or guinea are not an option for us. Thanks.

 

[Bobfein2005]

Shoot them.

 

[chucken3000]

Shoot them.

we are currently planning to, but there are sooo many foxes and they keep having babies. when i kill a few, will the rest give up? or do i have to shoot them all? im fine with killing all of them, it will just likely take a long time/

 

[Red Mangrove]

I have a large fox den as well as 24/7 free-range chickens. The two get along perfectly fine. I would recommend getting tough chickens and letting them sleep where they want. Usually here they sleep high up in trees and no predator can touch them

In my experience the following breeds are fox immune- American Game, Cubalaya, Sumatra

There's no need to kill any foxes if you allow your chickens to protect themselves. If I locked my chickens up in a coop at night they would probably all have died already

 

[Bobfein2005]

I've not had any luck in detering foxes or racoons. They won't stop
I trap and shoot. Usually we'll see predators snooping at night and then I set traps. Other than keeping my birds locked up, it's been my only successful option.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Electric fence, there are some which are operated by car battery, and if it is too much hassle to build one, there are ready made electric fences ( we used to have the flexinet ?) we used it for sheep, but I think it’s also ok for chickens ( as long as they don’t fly over it)

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Is there any way we could put them in moveable runs where they could still forage yet not be eaten? or is killing the foxes the only solution?

Welcome to BYC!

Sorry for your loss.

Ya, killing all the wildlife that enjoys chicken dinner isn't really an option where I live.. nor would I wan't to do that.. plus.. permit required in MY location to shoot foxes.

Yes, one possibility is to use the "premier one" type electric fence with step in stakes.. it's move-able.. Or build a run that IS fox resistant and still allows your birds outdoor time. Baited E wire is effective! There are also rollers for the top of fences.. or like my run is fully enclosed.

The answer is NO you can't just kill them all (predators).. more will move in.

I see predators snooping at night.. and make sure my defenses are tight (layers).. they were here before myself and the chickens moved in.. SOME seasons.. I do have to go on lockup.. for a week or two.. usually due to hawks.. which are completely illegal to dispatch.. but long enough they know there's no more free meals here.. if they did get something previously.. But 2 scores in a row (at your place).. means they WILL be back, unfortunately.

Safe keeping!

 

[nuthatched]

Build a big, fox proof run, and don't worry.

 

[RoyalChick]

If you shoot them more will come and take over the territory. They also have large litters of kits.
I have many, many foxes. I am relying on an electric net fence.

 

[Acre4Me]

We could just keep them in their fox-proof coop all day, but that/s not very good for the chickens

This is false. They would not be killed (a positive), and they would be in a familiar environment - which chicken love. They love the familiar. They are prey animals, and are hardwired to avoid predation, and the familiar provides them with what they are hardwired to want.

Of course, they do love scratching grass and eating bugs. While a chickens cannot smile, they sure look happy when digging a dust bath, finding a juicy bug or exploring the compost pile.

While you have foxes, and an abundance of them, you are going to have to change up a few things. Besides keeping them locked up, you may want to use an electric fence with a good amount of juice to really zap the canines after your chickens. If no electric, then get solar and make sure it’s good and charged for their evening excursion. Really, an electric solution is a really impactful solution to each animal that experiences it. Then they teach their young to avoid it too.

You can go the route we did: make a predator proof run. It’s taken a few years to get there, and we have more issues with raccoons than foxes. But, we have just one more thing to do to completely predator proof it. However, it’s time consuming to do that and more $$. We do let our out to explore when we are nearby, and we do not have woods that are very close, so that can help minimize some predation.

Premier one electric fencing is highly recommended by many BYCers. I’ve looked at their options in the past and they have pretty much any solution you might need at various price points.

Good luck!