Spotted fox in my yard, what should I do?

[sourland]

Hot wire around the pens and supervised free ranging. Permanent removal of the fox may become necessary if it starts harassing your pens/birds.

 

[cmom]

Many people have no issues for quite a long time and get complacent and then when you least expect the predator will strike. Lessons learned the hard way.

 

[cmom]

I don't free range my birds anymore but I do have hot wires around my coops and pens and if anything touches the wires they will hurt. Once a fox knows the birds are there they will lurk looking for an opportunity until they find one. They do not move on. I think the adult predators teach their young that whatever is on the other side of the hot wires are not worth getting a good zap for. Almost every night I usually see a fox on at least one of my game cameras among other predators too.
This is a rabbit and a fox on one of my game cameras recently. The date and time are wrong on the camera. I just reset it again. It's a rather poor camera but you can still see the rabbit and the fox.

 

[Kaesi2020]

If you don't want to give up free ranging, I would make sure you are always supervising them when they are out. Its time consuming but worth the protection it gives them as well as the benefit of them maintaining their free range freedom still. I lost a hen to a bobcat while free ranging but I was inside my house at the time. For me, I see how much they enjoy the yard time and its worth it for me to take a few hours out of my day to provide supervision for them. I'll never again leave them unattended free ranging after I've learned how most of these predators continue to come back. When I supervised them, I basically am always within ten feet and I watch the areas closely. I have time now because I am off of work but in a few weeks I'll only have time to do this for the hour before bedtime.

 

[Farmlife16]

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...

Thanks!

 

[cmom]

My lessons were learned the hard way.

 

[Farmlife16]

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...

Thank you! I really want to let them free range, but I would hate to lose one

 

[Farmlife16]

If you don't want to give up free ranging, I would make sure you are always supervising them when they are out. Its time consuming but worth the protection it gives them as well as the benefit of them maintaining their free range freedom still. I lost a hen to a bobcat while free ranging but I was inside my house at the time. For me, I see how much they enjoy the yard time and its worth it for me to take a few hours out of my day to provide supervision for them. I'll never again leave them unattended free ranging after I've learned how most of these predators continue to come back. When I supervised them, I basically am always within ten feet and I watch the areas closely. I have time now because I am off of work but in a few weeks I'll only have time to do this for the hour before bedtime.

Yes, I have been supervising them so far. It is time consuming, but I feel better about having them out.

 

[McChooky]

My lessons were learned the hard way.

I don't gamble with my chickens lives either. The decks stacked in the predators favor.

 

[McChooky]

Thank you! I really want to let them free range, but I would hate to lose one

Foxes will watch a flock from afar and plan their attack around your routine . Your best bet would be to put an electric fence around your property to prevent them from getting any free chicken dinners at your expense.Just my two cents worth...