Red Foxes! How do I get rid of them?

[Pinfeathersgeek]

We are definitely going to put up the electric fence wires. My Husband will watch some utube videos on how to do it as he wasn't in my life when I had my Horse's. We're also making the fence higher and putting the nets over the top I just need to find the heavy netting I don't want the fox to be able to jump over it I don't know if they can clear the 4' or if they climb but I want to be sure that they have to make an effort and then guarantee that they get a nasty Zap from it. It's definitely gonna smoke some for off of them. It should also work on any visiting raccoons and possums. I told my Husband to use the hog rings too. Thank you so much!! For all of your help as you have definitely helped us as Cmom has also helped us.We're not going to free range for awhile to let the fox move on. And IF it's still a danger then take the steps needed to eliminate it.

 

[Pinfeathersgeek]

Are you in the UK or the US? If I remember Farnham is a product from UK. I haven't seen them in the US. Just curious.

In the US I'll unpack it this coming week and see it's brand I could have mistaken it's name I did use Farnham products for the horses so that's where I could be getting the name from. It's definitely a 50 mile unit tho. I'll update you when I get it out. So happy I didn't sell it!

 

[Pinfeathersgeek]

Good idea. That should keep any climbers out and most anything. For people who have coon issues that seems to be a good way to keep them out too. Good luck...

We definitely have lots of Raccoons that come and go.I've found them in the pen with the chickens eating from their feeder as my chickens are all walking around the raccoon like hey buddy how are ya doin not frightened at all and we had 3 little ones 2 months ago taking eggs out of the nesting boxes my Husband has chased them off with firecrackers heck we've even named one adult Rocky it was huge. They don't come around very much so I'm happy for that. I just don't want a bad raccoon to come along and decide to turn on the chickens and kill them.

 

[cmom]

I'm outside right now but will go in and post some threads on electric fences.

 

[cmom]

These are good threads. My fence charger is electric AC.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/a-treatise-on-electric-fences-for-poultry.72229/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-treatise-on-electric-fencing.1117877/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/electric-fence-basics.1398976/

 

[cmom]

We definitely have lots of Raccoons that come and go.I've found them in the pen with the chickens eating from their feeder as my chickens are all walking around the raccoon like hey buddy how are ya doin not frightened at all and we had 3 little ones 2 months ago taking eggs out of the nesting boxes my Husband has chased them off with firecrackers heck we've even named one adult Rocky it was huge. They don't come around very much so I'm happy for that. I just don't want a bad raccoon to come along and decide to turn on the chickens and kill them.

Probably the firecrackers...

 

[cmom]

In the US I'll unpack it this coming week and see it's brand I could have mistaken it's name I did use Farnham products for the horses so that's where I could be getting the name from. It's definitely a 50 mile unit tho. I'll update you when I get it out. So happy I didn't sell it!

Farnham here in the US does sell fencing but I don't think here they sell fence chargers, but I may be wrong. Again, good luck...

 

[Liz Birdlover]

The scrawny bald fox has sarcoptic mange, many female foxes end up with it, not sure why. It's contagious so not sure how most of their male mates stay furry & bushy tailed, but neighborhood dogs may catch it. A fox with mange doesn't die quick, at least not the ones I've seen around here.

I used to free range my chickens when I was outside with them, too, but this summer my jackass neighbor started feeding 3 foxes, 2 red males & a bald, skin tailed female. The one males actually likes people now & is in my yard constantly catching mice, moles, voles & leaving piles of crap for me to try & avoid stepping in. That little shit walked up to me as watered the veggie garden, playing with moths my hose kicked up. I told the neighbor she's not doing any favors, compromising their hunting skills & making them friendly.

My chickens are safe in big pens but it sucked not being able to let them free range. I did buy a humane trap at Tractor Supply, but foxes avoid it. Come spring I'm sure there will be many kits born in the den.

Anyway...I understand how you feel. I am hoping my other neighbor with horses does something about foxes like she did before, they carry some illnesseses very bad for horses & they run & crap where her horses are every day. I can't bring myself to shoot, but that could chage if I see a fox with a foaming rabies mouth.

Here are the large pens I built for my chickens. I started with 1 coop & 2 pens, 8x10s, to rotate chickens as they turfed, but then chicken math happened...more Roos = more individual pens lol.

If you make a 2x8 foot rectangular panels, then the 2' hardware cloth goes on real quick with the poultry staple nails that look like a "U" shape, then just screw panels together, overhead as well. If I move from here, the panel pens break down, move & reassemble easy. The hardest part was post hole digging 2 foot trench & sinking blocks so no one will dig their way in. With ongoing foxes, coyote, many hawks, raccoons & the occasional loose dogs, I need safe pens here. Hope this pen idea helps.

 

[microchick]

We have a fox problem where we live. Several years ago a beautiful red fox fed her kits off of local flocks. We would find feathers everywhere on our property but not one of our chickens were taken. I keep my flock in a chain link fence run that is hot wired. We saw foot prints belonging to both the female and her kits around our coop and run but no encroachments.

When this happened we called the local conservation department about the fox when she started her marauding. He told me that there isn't an animal harder to trap than a Fox. They don't call them foxy without good reason. The foot traps do work he told me but the best thing to do is just shoot them, as harsh as that sounds. Here, if a wild animal kills livestock, it is considered a nuance and farmers have the right to eliminate the threat to their livestock.

I'll have to catch up with this thread but if it hasn't been suggested, I would call your state's local conservation department and see what their take on the problem is. If the animals are diseased, then they will want to remove those animals from the population.

In the meantime, protect your flock. Foxes can climb so if you go with a hot wire you might want to wire both top and bottom of the run and don't worry about domestic animals touching it. We have 7 dogs. They have all applied wet noses to our hot wire around our run. It only takes once to convince them that those chickens are armed with deadly force and are unafraid to use it. I have also had chickens get loose and come in contact with my wire. Oh yeah, they don't like it. I've also smelled some scorched feathers but they bird is not killed nor have they suffered any permanent damage.

I hope you get rid of your fox problem. It isn't going t get better without a lot of deadly force being used against them.

 

[GuineaWrangler]

Shoot the fox or foxes then hang the carcass on a post. Most get the message and take off. Works well with coyotes too.