Raccoons..

[slordaz]

If we loose power from the hurricane, I will be camping out with the birds. Maybe I'll invest in a solar fence as a backup.

That would be a good idea I try to go solar for anything I do for them just in case as where I live we loose power a lot due to winds or in the winter heavy snow. I got a little solar powered generator so I can run the deIcer for the buckets fairly cheap and it's portable, they have the solar powered electric fencing also at cal ranch here , but haven't seen them at the other place that is a farm and feed store. it does charge even if it's cloudy and now real sun just a bit slower but does have a small battery to store, you could add other batteries to it for more storage power.

 

[cmom]

I went and bought a solar charger in case we loose power from the storm, otherwise I would be camping out with the birds.

 

[Criticalicious]

We have an electric fence powered by two car batteries attached to a solar panel. To date the local critters do not investigate the chicken coops and we have not had to trap. Live and let live - everybody wins.

 

[Athiena14]

When you got places around you that is all forest land and no farmlands.

To the OP, what were you going to do with the fox if you caught it?

And what makes you think it was a fox that tore up the coop and not this coon?

FWIW, my philosophy on dealing with varmints is to house the birds in a bomb proof coop that nothing gets in, and in doing so, that enables you to sleep easy and "live and let live", unless somehow, someway a varmint is successful, and manages a kill. After that, you can assume they will be a persistent offender and be back to give you untold grief. Best solution then......all things considered......is to administer the double tap and then shore up defenses so the one who replaces the recently demised isn't as successful as his predecessor.

The fox was caught on game trail came going in and out of the coop.
What I'll do with it, kill and keep the furs

 

[Athiena14]

Btw fur is saved, in freezer to kill ticks (omg so many ticks), fleas and other things in fur before brushed out and tanned.

Meat was put near a red tailed hawk area for an offering. We have an agreement that I offer food for them staying away from my chickens. (Note this is not every day and not even every month, so they still do have to hunt on their own.)

And yes I do skin my own way and not the way some would do

 

[cmom]

The foxes I eliminated, stunk and up close mangy looking.

 

[Howard E]

I think there maybe was some confusion raised when you mentioned release.....but that was if it was a younger coon. Assumption then is the big boy you trapped was not released, but was dispatched instead. That is what I would have done.

Would have to see the coop, but I would suspect that big coon being more able to tear up a coop than a fox......but a fox would certainly take advantage of any big holes that were created by someone else. You may multiple types of predators at work.....and yes, all of them like chicken.

 

[Athiena14]

I think there maybe was some confusion raised when you mentioned release.....but that was if it was a younger coon. Assumption then is the big boy you trapped was not released, but was dispatched instead. That is what I would have done.

Would have to see the coop, but I would suspect that big coon being more able to tear up a coop than a fox......but a fox would certainly take advantage of any big holes that were created by someone else. You may multiple types of predators at work.....and yes, all of them like chicken.

Ones born from this year I would release because they havent learned anything. Usually scavenging around my land and not having issues with the chickens.

The big boy I caught went after a live chicken in a special trap i set up, so is a chicken killer.

The video is of the fox going to attack a lone rooster in my coop I had been trying to lure in with a snare in the hole. The rooster outsmarted me and got out of where I had him hidden and fought back.