Ran off a fox!

[The Moonshiner]

no, get predator motion activated lights

Predator motion lights are a gimmick along with everything else people recommend without having experience using any of it.

What was your experience with them?

 

[roosterhavoc]

What was your experience with them?

They are a gimmick like I said. Shine a red light in a fox or coyotes face at night and they won't run off. Do a simple search and you will find plenty of pics of raccoons with the blinking light in their face while attempting to get in a chicken coop. I don't have to buy ridiculous things like that or pee around the coop or any other crazy combination of things people come up with on here.
Electric fences, secure coops, traps and a way to kill the trapped animal is all you need.

 

[OG Anomaly]

View attachment 1101373

LOL

 

[The Moonshiner]

They are a gimmick like I said. Shine a red light in a fox or coyotes face at night and they won't run off. Do a simple search and you will find plenty of pics of raccoons with the blinking light in their face while attempting to get in a chicken coop. I don't have to buy ridiculous things like that or pee around the coop or any other crazy combination of things people come up with on here.
Electric fences, secure coops, traps and a way to kill the trapped animal is all you need.

I was curious since you mentioned people recommending things they have no experience using. I would think it would be almost the same as people recommending not using something they don't have experience with.

I've never used the blinking ones but my nieghbor has four on his coop and it made no change.
I've never used red lights just regular bulbs or flood lights. I found they do work. In the beginning that is. Soon they figure out no threat comes with the light coming on. They'll run a few times then they run a little ways and watch. Then they do the same but then cautiously creep back then they will soon ignore the light altogether. Moving them to different locations every day or two from the start helps a little bit.
Now that said we have an excess point in the back of our barn that leads to pasture where are dogs can't go. We did have an issue with things coming in there. I put up a motion light there and few days later added a radio which I also hear is a gimmick. Three years later and we still haven't had any problems in the barn. I don't know for sure if either one is really helping or if its something else.
Ill' try almost any gimmick for myself if its cheap enough and easy enough before telling others to dismiss it altogether.

 

[IrisChicken]

Maybe use some sort of repellent that foxes don't like? Like a stronger animal.. for instance, a bear. Spray it around the perimeters of the pen/house, don't spray it where the chickens would be, that would make them scared. Scared and uncomfortable, basically means no eggs, so spray it at least 5-10 feet away from the entrance/exit from the pen or whatever you keep your chickens in. Hope this helps!


xoxo, IrisChicken

 

[roosterhavoc]

I was curious since you mentioned people recommending things they have no experience using. I would think it would be almost the same as people recommending not using something they don't have experience with.

I've never used the blinking ones but my nieghbor has four on his coop and it made no change.
I've never used red lights just regular bulbs or flood lights. I found they do work. In the beginning that is. Soon they figure out no threat comes with the light coming on. They'll run a few times then they run a little ways and watch. Then they do the same but then cautiously creep back then they will soon ignore the light altogether. Moving them to different locations every day or two from the start helps a little bit.
Now that said we have an excess point in the back of our barn that leads to pasture where are dogs can't go. We did have an issue with things coming in there. I put up a motion light there and few days later added a radio which I also hear is a gimmick. Three years later and we still haven't had any problems in the barn. I don't know for sure if either one is really helping or if its something else.
Ill' try almost any gimmick for myself if its cheap enough and easy enough before telling others to dismiss it altogether.

the op said the fox was seen and ran off. I'm assuming during the day. You tell me just how well a blinking, flood of any other kind of light is going to prevent that.

 

[roosterhavoc]

If you want to play a radio and have lights on all the time be my guest. Eventually just like you said they get desensitized to it all. Why would you put up a light and play a radio instead of prevent the "things" from getting in anyway.

 

[The Moonshiner]

the op said the fox was seen and ran off. I'm assuming during the day. You tell me just how well a blinking, flood of any other kind of light is going to prevent that.

Well nothing is going to prevent that incedent it's already over. That fox could return anytime day or night from now until it is dead.
Imo I'd trap it and kill it. But if a motion light was installed today and it showed up tonight it would most likely run away. So I'm not going to say it is a usless gimmick.
I also never said it was the answer.
I stated my experience with lights I voiced my opinion on recommending not using something you have no ezperience with.

 

[The Moonshiner]

If you want to play a radio and have lights on all the time be my guest. Eventually just like you said they get desensitized to it all. Why would you put up a light and play a radio instead of prevent the "things" from getting in anyway.

I tried to prevent them and have prevented a few. Not having an issue now so for now they are prevented.
"Things" most concerning would be owls, coons and foxes. I can't seal it up it is age as from pasture to stall for donkeys. Can't do much about owls. You know laws and such. Foxes here are almost impossible to live trap and foot holds which I like doesn't work well with donkeys outside and birds and such inside.
Shooting. Is limited to when I can be there and livestock in the area.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Well nothing is going to prevent that incedent it's already over. That fox could return anytime day or night from now until it is dead.
Imo I'd trap it and kill it. But if a motion light was installed today and it showed up tonight it would most likely run away. So I'm not going to say it is a usless gimmick.
I also never said it was the answer.
I stated my experience with lights I voiced my opinion on recommending not using something you have no ezperience with.

Fine the fox runs off at night and comes back during the day when the light isn't effective. I've trapped quite a few foxes and raccoons that were killing chickens. They will come night and day with lights on and without. They will constantly change the routine.