Spotted fox in my yard, what should I do?

[Farmlife16]

Hey everybody! Today I spotted a fox in my yard. I am worried about continuing to let my chickens free range with a fox in the area. Should I lock them up? How can I keep the fox away? Do I need to kill it?
Thanks!

 

[FeatherTay]

Lock them up. Electric fences around the property would be the best option.

 

[FeatherTay]

@aart anything else to include?

 

[Weeg]

Supervised free range, and electric fencing are good options. Killing it will only open up territory for other predators to come. It’s not a permanent solution.

 

[Farmlife16]

Lock them up. Electric fences around the property would be the best option.

Thank you!

 

[cmom]

I have lost some birds to fox during the middle of the day. They usually roam at night here. They will lurk and look for an opportunity and usually succeed. It will keep lurking looking for an opportunity. I no longer free range but have nice large pens for my birds. There is a lot of things you can do to entertain your birds even when in a pen but many people get enjoyment from watching their birds roam their yards. I also have electric wires around my coops and pens as well as good heavy duty netting covering my pens for protection from aerial predators, from which I have lost several birds in the past, as well as concrete under the gates due to a fox digging under a pen gate and killing several birds. I also have several game cameras up around on my property and most nights when the predators roam here see a predator on at least one of the cameras. This is also the time of the year when the kits that were born in the spring are now hunting on their own. Good luck...

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I have had a fox cruising our property and my birds are locked up for now. I wouldn't take chances with free ranging until the fox has moved on - hopefully.

 

[cmom]

The problem is the fox do not move on. They usually have established territories. In the past there was a fox that frequented here. I could tell it by unusual marking. I saw the same fox many times on my game cameras. Also there was an injured coyote I saw quite often on the cameras.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

The problem is the fox do not move on. They usually have established territories. In the past there was a fox that frequented here. I could tell it by unusual marking. I saw the same fox many times on my game cameras. Also there was an injured coyote I saw quite often on the cameras.

Yeah. That is unfortunate as well. I'm just hoping I can let them out during the day again. Which is what I've always done even after spotting a fix early morning not too far from our set up.

 

[cmom]

Just remember when you free range that is the risk you take and you will eventually loose a bird/birds. It happens. I lost my special bird to a fox during the middle of the day. I had see some fox on my game cameras at night when they mostly roam here and had no issues. I was distracted and the fox got her. They will lurk looking for an opportunity until they find one. Good luck...