The best way to discourage predators is to put an electric fence on the outside of your containment fence. Three or four wires ten inches apart with the first about six inches off the ground . Predators will be trained to stay away with one contact. I have had chickens for 6 years in a rural area and ground predators have never been an issue. An electric fence is a cheap investment and a permanent solution for years to come.
I know, that neighbor is not too swift. Fox is constantly hunting mice, moles & voles, my hard if full of his little dug up divets. I'm just glad I had the sense to build sturdy safe pens for my flock.
Call DNR in your area, they may be able to come help the situation or will know someone who can
Had same problem 30 years ago. Ended up burying coop fence 1 foot deep and adding a roof over it. A couple of yard dogs also on guard and still had foxes show up. Don't have to worry about them now as the coyote population has eradicated foxes from this area, but they too like the taste of chicken. Vigilance is the only thing to keep chickens safe.
We used to not kill foxes unless they attacked one of our chickens. No more. If they are close they die. I love foxes otherwise and say a little prayer for them before I pull the trigger. Forget pellet guns. Use a .22. Best round is the aquilla 60 grain which is a large heavy slow moving round and it uses a .22 short case, is subsonic and relatively quiet. I do not know where the notion that another fox will move in comes from. Foxes are very smart and the word gets out to stay away from Elmer Fudd's chickens pretty quickly. We leave the carcass in the vicinity. Alternatively you can shoot near them and that works pretty well to keep just that fox away especially if you kick up debris onto them. If you can't protect your chickens, please don't raise them.
It is DEFINITELY not rabies, and the canid no doubt has skin issues...perhaps mange, but I’m looking at the probability that the mange is not contageous..only due to poor overall body condition. I would also suspect that the fox with ‘mange’ is an adolescent and not an adult. Could you assess the ‘breachable’ factor of security for your coop? You must find a way to make prevent predators from entering and i know it is very difficult. My coop is secure...nothing can get in and nothing can get out...but I still have problems with the durn rodents. The other wonan who answered your post is so correct. Killing the foxes is not going to solve your predator problem at all due to the vacuum effect (other foxes will simply ‘move’ in quickly to fill the void. And killing the fox is illegal in most states too. Could you take pics of your coop and post them please?
Dont you have game and fish or animal control you can call?
Dont you have game and fish or animal control you can call?
Don’t bother it’s BS. Foxes will investigate all kinds of smells. Human urine isn’t going to bother them. The fox can already smell you once he’s in your yard and will know you just pissed there but aren’t still standing there.
