Red Foxes! How do I get rid of them?

[sarahconnor]

I got my first flock, bantams, just over 5 years ago. The first 2 years we battled possums, a racoon, stray dogs and a pack of coyotes. The strays were caught and sent to the animal shelter. The possums and racoon were permanently gotten rid of. The coyotes were gotten rid of between ourselves and a few other neighbors. The last 3 years we've been doing well with no more problems. We have 2 brother dogs kenneled next to our chickens and ducks for the last 2 years with no problems. Ours are free ranged within a large pen. I don't lock them up, my ducks stay out all day and sleep outside in the pen at night. Neighbors can't figure out why we don't have predator problems like they do.

Honestly, permanently getting rid of the fox best. You can also use a humane trap but they must be transported 100 miles or more away or they could return.

How is your dog with the chickens? Could you fence in a larger area and let your dog in with them when they free range? A carport is actually a great idea for shelter, protection and shade. Make sure to put 1/2" hardware cloth at least 12" in the ground for digging protection. Use welded wire for strength with hardware cloth not only below ground but place it at least 3 foot high too on the walls. Now, if you have hawk problems as well, put up some old patio or beach umbrellas in the pen. I use them and don't have any more hawk problems. HINT: paint a couple pairs of eyes on them.

Our coops (a 2nd smaller is behind) has 4ft fencing on 3 sides with a 7ft in the back. The kennel has 5ft fencing on 3 sides with side closest to poultry 7ft tall. I know this setup is different from what I stated to do but this has worked for us for over 3 years so far.
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Beautiful picture. Like the summer and winter shot.
. We also have the most loss due to raccoons. We have a chain link yard with chain link roof. Even the tiniest hole that you can get your arm through needs wiring. We recently lost a bird in the morning due to a small hole a raccoon had enlarged. We found and repaired it.
Hanging CD’s helps with hawks. They have stayed away since doing that. We used to let them out in our meadow for several hours a day but the foxes started coming during the day. So we make sure we are outside with them when they are out. I am sure they miss it but better safe than sorry. We have a decent size side yard for them. Ours come in to seed as well they love mixed bird seed and our goose needs the sunflower seeds as she isn’t on the grass as much because of predators.
Are yours ever out of the yard? Outside of the fencing?

 

[sarahconnor]

People who consider their domesticated animals more important than the native, wild animals aren't looking at the bigger picture. We have chickens. We live surrounded by forest. We protect the chickens with fences and buildings and if the foxes, raccoons, skunk, mink, ringtail, bobcat, etc get at them, its our own fault and we fix the fences, holes in floor, etc. We don't just kill the culprits then the next culprit then the next culprit ad nauseum. Its our responsibility to build and fix and encage unless we are outside working and can keep an eye out. Our hens are trained to come to a calling and shaking of the seed can to be put away with treats when we can't be around anymore. Our dog sleeps outside, and our dogs always have (40 years now) with no harm to them. Its their job to waken us to bears, foxes, the horse herd breaking in, etc. We appreciate the wild animals around and they try to live with us. They were here before us.

We do most of what you do except for the dogs. Nice work. We only free range when we are outside. Trained them to come in with seed when we go in. We have chain link on roof of yard, and it’s pretty good size so they have room to attract out. We used to let them out for several hours daily but then losses started mounting so we stopped, except when we are outside. Even the smallest breech needs repaired. We lost one the other day because of a small hole. Grrr

 

[Cazook]

You can only discourage. Protected coop so they can't get in and massacre, electric fence around run will usually keep out a fox. You can get portable kits with 50m of fencing and battery power, solar etc. 50m fencing makes quite a big pasture for them.

I use motion-detected lights to discourage them from the area at night but I doubt this will be much use as you say they are attacking in the day! They must be very desperate.

 

[ChichiMama]

The coop is secure and we lock them up every night. I'm so so sorry for your loss Blue the last hen that was killed was one of our last original Hens she was the Best.

Awwwww I am soooo sorry..... I’m so upset for you. We had beautiful white baby silkies like six months ago... raccoons actually opened the window with their thumbs and broke in the coop. All feathers, no chickens. It was horrible. I’m really sorry about Blue. We put a “chicken cam” outside, like a baby monitor ... so I get alerts when something is moving in the yard... the raccoons kept coming back for a long time. Then we have been riddled with squirrels... we dug and buried mesh wire around the run & coop and around and open spots that something could get in... we just let our chickens out when we are with them. Otherwise they are in the run. It’s a large run. Oh and when we had them as babies, we had them outside and left them in a dog crate as we walked the kids to the driveway to be picked up. When we walked back down, a chick was missing. After searching and searching, we looked back at the cameras- a hawk of some kind scared the chicks- one went one way, the other two went the other way in the cage, the one got pulled through by the hawk when it scared him to the edge of the cage. It was horrible.

 

[ChichiMama]

Awwwww I am soooo sorry..... I’m so upset for you. We had beautiful white baby silkies like six months ago... raccoons actually opened the window with their thumbs and broke in the coop. All feathers, no chickens. It was horrible. I’m really sorry about Blue. We put a “chicken cam” outside, like a baby monitor ... so I get alerts when something is moving in the yard... the raccoons kept coming back for a long time. Then we have been riddled with squirrels... we dug and buried mesh wire around the run & coop and around and open spots that something could get in... we just let our chickens out when we are with them. Otherwise they are in the run. It’s a large run. Oh and when we had them as babies, we had them outside and left them in a dog crate as we walked the kids to the driveway to be picked up. When we walked back down, a chick was missing. After searching and searching, we looked back at the cameras- a hawk of some kind scared the chicks- one went one way, the other two went the other way in the cage, the one got pulled through by the hawk when it scared him to the edge of the cage. It was horrible. We did get an electric fence too.. but never used it bc I have a chipmunk friend...

 

[NorthwesternOntarioHobby]

We have always had foxes around gray's and reds we've had our chickens for just over 10 years and never had an issue with the gray fox or the red fox until 2 months ago when the red fox had killed 2 Hens.Then this past week we've seen 2 red fox one looks sickly it's tail is like a stick no hair on it and a normal looking one. One of them got another hen and was in the process of trying to grab another Hen 2 days later when my Husband ran up and scared it off and it let go of our Hen she's unharmed.. Since then we've shut them in our small run that my Husband covered the top with wire. They're relentless coming constantly all day when my Husband isn't standing guard outside with them and we hear our Rooster going crazy crowing our German Shepherds run look out the bedroom window and then run to the backdoor to get outside to run over to the pen we have chased the Healthy looking fox off all day! He keeps coming back we see where it killed a morning dove as it's got feather collection piles just inside the woods Help help help!! Our chickens have always free ranged every afternoon and now their not able to leave the run.any suggestions on how to get them to move on??? I truly appreciate any suggestions that would help us save our flock.

I would put An advertisement online on your local classified website looking for a hunter to come shoot it if you are in an area that permits firearm discharge. If that’s not an option order an XL dog trap , use hay / straw to disguise it (lay some hay or leaf litter on the floor of The cage and bait it with something stinky like tuna or cat food. Once they realize there’s food (hens) somewhere and have a family to feed they’ll keep coming back.

 

[PhoenixinNevada]

Use a humane trap, animal control can provide or fish and game if you think they are sick animals. Cant remember if they charge a fee or deppsit for the traps??

 

[wolfinator]

Beautiful picture. Like the summer and winter shot.
. We also have the most loss due to raccoons. We have a chain link yard with chain link roof. Even the tiniest hole that you can get your arm through needs wiring. We recently lost a bird in the morning due to a small hole a raccoon had enlarged. We found and repaired it.
Hanging CD’s helps with hawks. They have stayed away since doing that. We used to let them out in our meadow for several hours a day but the foxes started coming during the day. So we make sure we are outside with them when they are out. I am sure they miss it but better safe than sorry. We have a decent size side yard for them. Ours come in to seed as well they love mixed bird seed and our goose needs the sunflower seeds as she isn’t on the grass as much because of predators.
Are yours ever out of the yard? Outside of the fencing?

Not any longer unless they get out but it's rare and they panic trying to find a way back inside. I have on occasion temporarily fenced off area in front of pen to let them "trim" grass down but only a handful ventured out. The back between their fence and creek is also sectioned off so I can rotate them with fresh grass (its also our pet cemetery area now).

When my flock was a lot smaller a couple years ago, I have 73 chickens, ducks and guineas as of today. They had area where coop is now. The coop in background was one of six inside 4 pens above a creek that got flooded out in 2018 and they all shared a common grassy area. We have woods behind and beside them plus a neighbor next door that we have to consider as well. Now, my one dog since grown, goes crazy if any are outside the fence. He won't stop barking until I put them back, he's highly protective over them but would likely harm them if given any chance. He's half Lab/Mastiff and half Pit/Boxer with a high hunting instinct. He's snapped at chickens getting close to his fence and ran a pullet to death that flew into his kennel last year. She had no marks or wounds. My other outside dog is half Hound/Wolf and half Pit/Boxer but ignores them unless his brother is on his side. So we section off the far right area for a garden each year so they are given access to that side after garden plants are pulled. They love getting the fallen fruit and vegetables and they get the weeds. They'll get access to another grassy area to the far right so they can clear and fertilize for our expanding (almost doubled) garden. The older ones know the routine and younger will learn along with our 10 new ducks,

My old pens when I had 4 coops, 3 pens and maybe 25 chickens (8 bantams) and 2 ducks, 4 ducklings. My bantams and ducks had a split pen but later shared it. Funny to see a 20 ounce Showgirl crossed beak hen bully a drake triple her size. The creek is behind trees and was usually very low as in a trickle to dry most years.

Next year there's plans to clear trees and creek out to dig a small pond which will more than triple their area once all fenced in. We have to also still allow for deer to access their path in same area. I've seen deer just 10 feet from kennels.

 

[cmom]

I see you have your pens covered. You could always run electric wires around the coops and pens. Once anything gets zapped, it will steer clear of the wires. We had a hurricane a few years ago and I lost power for a week, the predators still stayed away. They only know if they touch the wires they will get a shock. I had a few sleepless nights. I did put a battery operated radio out in the barn which is right behind our coops and left it on a talk radio station so any predator that happened by would hear voices not music.

 

[ColtHandorf]

@Pinfeathersgeek - What variety is the Orpington in your profile picture? He's so handsome and looks like Birchin and Silver-laced?