Red Foxes! How do I get rid of them?

[Krazikatlady64]

But, as I said, killing does not usually stop them...
Don't think I don't care. My ENTIRE flock was massacred by a fox just a few months ago.
I still miss them
If I though it would help, I'd say KILL IT. But it won't really help, sorry.

Try digging your fence into the ground, and making it 6'' tall. What is the coop like?

I am so sorry for your loss. Your entire flock! My heart is broken for you. I am so sorry.

 

[Pinfeathersgeek]

If you can trap the fox you may have a wildlife rescue in your area that will take it. I had an owl kill some of my birds. I did accidentally catch the owl and got it in a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. They said they had a release area and it shouldn't be back. When I originally put the netting over my pens I was short so I bought some netting online but it wasn't what I thought it was and an owl went through it and killed some birds. I moved the birds to a different coop and pen and put a camera in it. The owl came back and went through the netting again. Each time the owl went through it I put a new piece up. I have since replaced it with some good netting and the owl tried to go through it but got caught. I have seen some owls but they haven't tried to get to the birds.
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I was thinking about you setting up your electric fence and then I remembered that I still have my electric fencing unit I think it's a Farnam probably so not spelling that right but anyways it's a serious unit it's a 50 mile fencing system when I had horses we had a bad coyote problem and our fences were only around 20 acres and this unit is supposed to burn through grass and anything that touches it we put 3 long grounding rods on it and wholly moly it knocked my (Ex Husband) back 3' and off his feet he was very dazed! Lol sorry but it was funny. So I don't know if I can use that or not on a small pen. Maybe I better get a smaller one. It becomes more powerful when you add more grounding rods to it.....Where and what type of netting did you buy and are using Geez I forgot about the big Owls here we definitely hear them. I just want to keep out anything flying and climbing up the fence. Our pens not huge but the chickens are kept clean and happy and calm. I have a Beautiful English Orpington Rooster Merlin and assorted Hens that we desperately want to keep safe & protect. Thank you and I'll absolutely look into the Wild life rescue. Killing the red fox isn't something we want to do at all it's absolutely a last choice for us if the other things we try fail. And it's still running around we feel it's doing recon to figure out what else it can do to get to them. So any suggestions on the netting would be very much appreciated.

If you can trap the fox you may have a wildlife rescue in your area that will take it. I had an owl kill some of my birds. I did accidentally catch the owl and got it in a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. They said they had a release area and it shouldn't be back. When I originally put the netting over my pens I was short so I bought some netting online but it wasn't what I thought it was and an owl went through it and killed some birds. I moved the birds to a different coop and pen and put a camera in it. The owl came back and went through the netting again. Each time the owl went through it I put a new piece up. I have since replaced it with some good netting and the owl tried to go through it but got caught. I have seen some owls but they haven't tried to get to the birds.
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[Chickie friend]

Since you apparently free range but are considering building a pen, is good. I don't know if these pictures will help but this is what I did and I have had no intrusions. I have heavy duty netting covering all of my pens with electric wires going around the coops and pens and concrete under the gates. I do have a cut off switch under the fence charger but most of the time I unplug it. I have a lot of birds. I have previously posted these pictures on other threads. I did put the netting up in sections around the trees. Originally I fastened the sections together with zip ties but they eventually deteriorated so I replaced the zip ties with hog rings. This is a spot where something started to dig but aborted the attempt when it was zapped by the electric wire. Good luck...
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I think the OP already has a pen but its not totally secure. OP lets their chickens free range for part or all of the day

 

[Pinfeathersgeek]

I think the OP already has a pen but its not totally secure. OP lets their chickens free range for part or all of the day

Yes we have a pen yes we were free ranging the chickens every afternoon and we are working on making the pen height to 8'

 

[feliciadawn]

I had a set up like you, with a 4 foot cedar fence around a woodland area with trees and bushes. In the middle of the afternoon, a very mangey fox got in and killed one hen. I heard the alarm calling and caught him in the act, so he did not get to eat the hen.

Then I put up hardware cloth (at bottom) and metal chick wire (in the middle) across all the fencing, so there was no getting under or through the slats, and I put up an electric line across the top of the fence. Foxy has been back (I suspect, because the chickens alarm and stare at the place fox used to enter last time) but cannot get in. I just need to check the electric line once in while, especially after a wind storm. One benefit of putting up the hardware cloth/chicken wire is that is serves as a strong ground, so if the fox climbs the fence on the outside and touches the top line, he gets a quite strong shock (I know because I have accidentally touched the hardware cloth and the line at once.). Any place were there was not enough metal on the outside of the fence, I put a ground line a few inches below the electric wire.

So far, so good. No more losses and it has been this way for 2 months.

 

[SulkyBantam]

I am so sorry for your loss. Your entire flock! My heart is broken for you. I am so sorry.

Thank you! 2 baby chicks survived and are now big boys. I am very proud of them.

 

[cmom]

I was thinking about you setting up your electric fence and then I remembered that I still have my electric fencing unit I think it's a Farnam probably so not spelling that right but anyways it's a serious unit it's a 50 mile fencing system when I had horses we had a bad coyote problem and our fences were only around 20 acres and this unit is supposed to burn through grass and anything that touches it we put 3 long grounding rods on it and wholly moly it knocked my (Ex Husband) back 3' and off his feet he was very dazed! Lol sorry but it was funny. So I don't know if I can use that or not on a small pen. Maybe I better get a smaller one. It becomes more powerful when you add more grounding rods to it.....Where and what type of netting did you buy and are using Geez I forgot about the big Owls here we definitely hear them. I just want to keep out anything flying and climbing up the fence. Our pens not huge but the chickens are kept clean and happy and calm. I have a Beautiful English Orpington Rooster Merlin and assorted Hens that we desperately want to keep safe & protect. Thank you and I'll absolutely look into the Wild life rescue. Killing the red fox isn't something we want to do at all it's absolutely a last choice for us if the other things we try fail. And it's still running around we feel it's doing recon to figure out what else it can do to get to them. So any suggestions on the netting would be very much appreciated.

That charger you have will work fine. I have a similar one good for 50 miles around my coops and pens. It will hurt if touched like your Ex. I replaced a section of crappy netting I used when I ran short on the good netting with more good netting I bought. These are my pens and the netting I bought to replace the crappy netting with. I do have trees in my pens that I planted years ago. I did cut the netting and put it around the trees. I originally fasted the sections together with cable ties but they eventually deteriorated and came off in places so I replaced them with hog rings.

 

[cmom]

I had a set up like you, with a 4 foot cedar fence around a woodland area with trees and bushes. In the middle of the afternoon, a very mangey fox got in and killed one hen. I heard the alarm calling and caught him in the act, so he did not get to eat the hen.

Then I put up hardware cloth (at bottom) and metal chick wire (in the middle) across all the fencing, so there was no getting under or through the slats, and I put up an electric line across the top of the fence. Foxy has been back (I suspect, because the chickens alarm and stare at the place fox used to enter last time) but cannot get in. I just need to check the electric line once in while, especially after a wind storm. One benefit of putting up the hardware cloth/chicken wire is that is serves as a strong ground, so if the fox climbs the fence on the outside and touches the top line, he gets a quite strong shock (I know because I have accidentally touched the hardware cloth and the line at once.). Any place were there was not enough metal on the outside of the fence, I put a ground line a few inches below the electric wire.

So far, so good. No more losses and it has been this way for 2 months.

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...

 

[cmom]

I was thinking about you setting up your electric fence and then I remembered that I still have my electric fencing unit I think it's a Farnam probably so not spelling that right but anyways it's a serious unit it's a 50 mile fencing system when I had horses we had a bad coyote problem and our fences were only around 20 acres and this unit is supposed to burn through grass and anything that touches it we put 3 long grounding rods on it and wholly moly it knocked my (Ex Husband) back 3' and off his feet he was very dazed! Lol sorry but it was funny. So I don't know if I can use that or not on a small pen. Maybe I better get a smaller one. It becomes more powerful when you add more grounding rods to it.....Where and what type of netting did you buy and are using Geez I forgot about the big Owls here we definitely hear them. I just want to keep out anything flying and climbing up the fence. Our pens not huge but the chickens are kept clean and happy and calm. I have a Beautiful English Orpington Rooster Merlin and assorted Hens that we desperately want to keep safe & protect. Thank you and I'll absolutely look into the Wild life rescue. Killing the red fox isn't something we want to do at all it's absolutely a last choice for us if the other things we try fail. And it's still running around we feel it's doing recon to figure out what else it can do to get to them. So any suggestions on the netting would be very much appreciated.

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.

 

[Pinfeathersgeek]

I had a set up like you, with a 4 foot cedar fence around a woodland area with trees and bushes. In the middle of the afternoon, a very mangey fox got in and killed one hen. I heard the alarm calling and caught him in the act, so he did not get to eat the hen.

Then I put up hardware cloth (at bottom) and metal chick wire (in the middle) across all the fencing, so there was no getting under or through the slats, and I put up an electric line across the top of the fence. Foxy has been back (I suspect, because the chickens alarm and stare at the place fox used to enter last time) but cannot get in. I just need to check the electric line once in while, especially after a wind storm. One benefit of putting up the hardware cloth/chicken wire is that is serves as a strong ground, so if the fox climbs the fence on the outside and touches the top line, he gets a quite strong shock (I know because I have accidentally touched the hardware cloth and the line at once.). Any place were there was not enough metal on the outside of the fence, I put a ground line a few inches below the electric wire.

So far, so good. No more losses and it has been this way for 2 months.

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

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 had ordered it from one of my Horse Tack catalogs.But I have to unburry the tack box to get to it I could be mistaken on the brand but it's definitely a 50 mile unit.