Red Foxes! How do I get rid of them?

[papajoesfarm]

With apex predators like foxes and coyotes, you are dealing with smart, and determined animals. The only thing you can do when dealing with them is to secure your livestock, and then eliminate the predators when they show up. With poultry, securing them means putting them under the care of good dogs, or behind electric fences. The problem with unlimted free ranging is that you will always have some losses, and in that case you just need to accept that. Personally, I give my own flocks a secured area behind "hot" wire. Enough of an area that they can be happy with, and chase bugs and lizards, but not get out of sight where they might get eaten. Trying to get through my fences, runs, and coops means a nasty shock and possible electrocution for the offending critter.

When predators show up, they get shot. We have security cameras and lights. Being a hunting family, we just get a posse togethor, and hunt the critters down. It's really the best solution. Trying to "live trap" foxes or coyotes is virtually impossible. They are extremely intelligent animals, and the only way to trap them is to use snares. That takes quite a bit of skill and experience, and is not something you can learn quickly. Definitely not from some Internet article!

That being said, we are out in the "sticks". If you are in an area where the residences are too close to shoot with either rifle, shotgun or bow, than you can only secure your flock. Preferably behind a good tall fence, with three "hot" strands hooked up to an electric fence charger.

I hope some of this helps you.

 

[Lovem all]

shoot em or lose em
The only way your babies will ever be safe again is when all the foxes are dead.

 

[rocking chickens]

Since a fox is a very clever animal it is always looking for an easy meal. What you have to do is prove to it that getting to and eating your chickens is harder than making a meal of local mice. This can come in a few different forms:
Make it think their is another predator(bobcat urine),
Making getting to the chickens difficult( fencing, keeping chickens in open field where most fox don't feel confidant, dogs).
Killing a fox eliminates the immediate behavior however if it becomes a learned behavior in the local population it will take a lot of dead fox to get a good prevention message across. I would say kill the immidiant problem fox and if possible any sickly or starving fox and then employ a variety of things to keep new fox that move in away from your chickens

 

[WallyG74]

I love how these threads get put on the main page. The claws come out on both sides. To kill or not to kill. I hunt and I take care of problems that endanger my livestock. That’s what chickens are... livestock. If you are willing to make the choice of keeping livestock, then you need to be able to make the choice to keep your livestock safe even if that includes killing a problem predator. The chickens didn’t choose you, you chose the chickens so keep them safe.

 

[Lovem all]

@WallyG74 I like your wording. Thank you

 

[wendymichele]

you can't kill every fox, youi can only make the pen more secure.

 

[fishin_dad]

I've had free range inside of a 4ft chain link fence around .75 acres for going on 3 years. I have had 2 fox instances and both times dispatched the fox. My run ins with the foxes are usually when the weather starts turning cold and their usual prey is not moving as much. Both times the fox was a young fox and looking for an easy meal and once they taste chicken and realize how easy it is to get they will be back at least every other day about an hour before sunrise. Dispatching or trapping is the only answer for the particular fox but there will always be another that could potentially take its place. We have also added a large breed dog to the property and introduced it to the flock as a puppy so that it grows up knowing that the chickens are of limits.

 

[Don 27]

I've had free range inside of a 4ft chain link fence around .75 acres for going on 3 years

That's a serious chicken run you got there! .

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I've had free range inside of a 4ft chain link fence around .75 acres for going on 3 years. I have had 2 fox instances and both times dispatched the fox. My run ins with the foxes are usually when the weather starts turning cold and their usual prey is not moving as much. Both times the fox was a young fox and looking for an easy meal and once they taste chicken and realize how easy it is to get they will be back at least every other day about an hour before sunrise. Dispatching or trapping is the only answer for the particular fox but there will always be another that could potentially take its place. We have also added a large breed dog to the property and introduced it to the flock as a puppy so that it grows up knowing that the chickens are of limits.View attachment 2462029View attachment 2462038

Awww, sweet! Is that a Weimaraner?
I've heard many good things about that breed, thinking of getting a pup, raised with chickens & pigeons here already a dog should adapt well. My Rottweiler was awesome & gentle with birds, she passed at 14.

 

[aart]

I love how these threads get put on the main page.

Yep, or the email newsletter really brings em in.