Screaming fox

[LisaChick1]

Hi there....
I just let my beautiful girls out to free range for a little in our yard and a HUGE fox ran up and snatched my sweet light brahma hen in broad daylight with dogs and people out and about. We have a huge guard dog who unfortunately had come inside to cool down and didn't even know it happened. It was our first loss in a year to any predator.
Question is... I know this fox will be back now that it has discovered our flock. We have them a coupe they get locked in at night a a secure run they are in during the day usually and once in awhile I let them free range.... I'm worried this fox will come at night and dig and dig to get in. Is there anything I can do to help prevent it from persistently coming back to attack? I have 21 chicks in a heated outside coupe that is secure, now 7 hens

and 4 younger pullets, 3 ducks and 8 ducklings that I love all so much and now I'm so worried this nasty fox is going to destroy my babies and their home. Any help? Suggestions? Ideas? Please help! And and all advice is very appreciated.

 

[KelsT]

Do you have an apron of hardware or chicken wire around the coop? or you could opt for hot wire.

 

[PoultryCrazed]

Maybe leave a light on by the coop? Good luck and wish I could help more

 

[Toddrick]

I would put a live trap on the perimeter of the coop. Foxes normally won't go into a trap easily, even with bait. But when it is against the hardware cloth, and they are circling looking for a way in, they will likely think the cage is a door and walk inside to investigate...

I use solar spotlights to keep predators away from my coop at night too.

 

[123RedBeard]

Let the guard dog back out!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

..... I know this fox will be back now that it has discovered our flock..... I'm worried this fox will come at night and dig and dig to get in. Is there anything I can do to help prevent it from persistently coming back to attack? ....

To prevent a fox from returning make the fox assume ambient room temperature.

 

[LittlePeck]

After a fox dug its way under the coop, I buried chicken wire all around the outside edges. Voila!

I've lost quite a lot of chick/chickens as well to predators: Hawks, foxes, snakes, raccoons, dogs, and assorted things that go bump in the night. I've redone my coops based on the blueprints for Fort Knox. Aside from the buried chicken wire, I have 4' of hardware cloth followed by 4' of chicken wire (nobody's going to hit they're head in my coops!). There's chicken wire over the top as well. I started out using the bird netting you protect your fruit trees with, and while it's very good at keeping predators out, it's quite difficult to work with. However, if your one of your problems is snakes, bunch that up around the outside perimeter. It's like a snake magnet, but it's fatal. They try to get through it, but then can't back out because of the small holes and the flexibility.

 

[LisaChick1]

Thank you so much everyone! I got home last night and heard the nasty screaming sound right next to my home at the base of a small mountain...

but everyone is okay this morning.
I just couldn't believe it came up in broad day light and snatched my biggest hen right in front of my neighbor and there dog and then took off. I thought they were much more skidding and cautious... Makes me nervous as I have 2 little boys as well.
I'm gonna work on securing he coup even more today, gonna try and find a live trap that's larger enough for a big dog, and try and make my huge guard dog (that I can't get out of the house lately cause it's too hott) to stay on guard.
Thank you again for everything. So mad he got one of my sweetest most dependable/consistent layers... Would have been sad with any of em, but she was very special.