Sad night, first causality....

[kara1015]

Sad night here tonight. We lost our first bird to a fox. I am so upset. The neighbor is feeding them! They even ordered a whistle and is training the fox to come out for dinner! They say there are 2 adults, and 2 babies. My husband is ready to kill them all. I'm wondering if we can just trap and relocate very far away? We are going to reinforce everything tomorrow. In this case 2 birds got out and we weren't home. When we got back one was in a tree, the other missing and feathers everywhere. Now I am worried it will keep coming back and try to get in the pen and coop! Any suggestions welcome! I need to be able to leave home and not worry about my poor birds.

 

[bobbi-j]

One good reinforcement is electric fence around your run. Just high enough off the ground that when the fox is sniffing around it gets zapped. I'm with your husband - let him get rid of them! They have learned where they can get a chicken dinner when they get tired of whatever the neighbor's feeding them. Do NOT trap and relocate. It may be illegal where you live. Even if it's not, it generally doesn't end well for the relocated animal. And I do not appreciate people who want to relocate their now trap-wise nuisance animal "out in the country" because that's where I live. I do not want your animal eating my chickens. Good luck - I hope you can get rid of the things or tighten up your run so the birds don't get out.

 

[kara1015]

Setting a trap, and also watching from the deck tonight. Hope we can catch it!

 

[Mattemma]

Set the traps and kill what you catch.

 

[kara1015]

Set the traps and kill what you catch.

Planning on it.

 

[chickortreat]

Rabbit-in-distress call and a .22 magnum. Good medicine for fox...

 

[Tuhmu]

So sorry to hear about your loss . Hopefully you catch him, if your neighbor says that it has little ones, it will teach them how to as well.

 

[Chikyn]

I would say the best way is to inform your neighbor about your chickens (if they don't know yet) and ask them to please deter the foxes away from your yard. One of our favorite chickens were taken by the neighbor's cat, and after I asked them politely to keep their felines away, the gore stopped.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I think "asking nicely" should be done IF these were pets and they most certainly are not pets. I can not stand people who think they should tame wild animals

Edited by staff

 

[Farmer Brian]

One good reinforcement is electric fence around your run. Just high enough off the ground that when the fox is sniffing around it gets zapped. I'm with your husband - let him get rid of them! They have learned where they can get a chicken dinner when they get tired of whatever the neighbor's feeding them. Do NOT trap and relocate. It may be illegal where you live. Even if it's not, it generally doesn't end well for the relocated animal. And I do not appreciate people who want to relocate their now trap-wise nuisance animal "out in the country" because that's where I live. I do not want your animal eating my chickens. Good luck - I hope you can get rid of the things or tighten up your run so the birds don't get out.

bobbi-j nailed it. You will probably only need to kill one of the adults. The loss to the fox family will usually get the rest to move on. Then I would throw the dead fox into the neighbor's yard with a note saying it's there fault. DON'T FEED THE WILDLIFE. Fed and tamed wildlife ends up with dead wildlife (I make my living removing nuisance wildlife that have been acclimated to man's handouts, i.e. squirrels at the bird feeder, coons in the cat food or trash, etc. etc. ). Also, fox are #3, behind coons and skunks to carry rabies. Get rid of the fox or lock your girls up tight.