Taunting Fox

[Baumbergerflock]

First time chicken lady here. My chickens are about 3 months old, they have been in thier coop/run since about 6 weeks old, so well over a month. We monitor the coop door with a trail cam that sends real time photos, so we know if we have a predator the moment it happens. Everything has been fine. Chickens have a covered run, and an uncovered run. At first I only kept them in the covered, then uncovered but supervised. I finally got comfortable and brave enough to let them hang out in the uncovered for a few hours a day unsupervised, we have lots of tree coverage so I became less worried about hawks. But this week, I saw a red fox make a lap around the coop and run, in the late afternoon. Again, in the evening. He avoided the trail cam both passes. Dang it. The next day he was out there again, just standing between me and the chicken run, staring at me, as if he was saying, "Here I am, what are you going to do"? Haven't seen him in a day, but this morning when I let the girls out of the coop, and into the secondary uncovered run, that's when I saw it....he left a big pile of crap right at the gate, as if to say, "I'm here, and I got in". How? The fence is 7 feet tall, and I can't find a breach in the bottom anywhere. There are trees all around. Can foxes climb trees? He is taunting me, challenging me, and I know now is the time to fortify the coop and run since he has obviously been problem solving on how to get closer to the chickens. As a first time chicken mom, I have no idea on how to tackle this. What do I do? Tips? Advise? I haven't lost a chicken yet and they have become family pets, I have prepared my children for the possible reality, but I'm sure they would be devastated none the less. How is this guy getting in? How do I make him go away or keep him from investigating further? Lol, he's breached my first line of defense and I'm terrified.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Electric fence!

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

I'm sure you still get more replies with details, but it sounds like a low hot wire all the way around the coop and run would be a good deterrent. Lot's of threads on this topic. Good luck!

 

[PippinTheChicken]

You could get a motion sensor light for your coop. When the fox approaches, the ligjt will turn on and scare it away

 

[sourland]

Hot wire is a great mammalian deterrent.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

You can put wire on the floor of the coop and cover it in bedding/dirt. It will stop him from digging under

 

[lovemybuffy]

I know your fear. I lost one of my girls this afternoon to a fox and I am devastated. Not only that but he bit off her head and ate it and then returned to try snag another ! My husband was in the barn and heard the rooster go crazy with his warning call and when he ran over to the run he saw the fox coming out of the brush . He threw his hive tool at it and he ran back into the woods. My husband went and found my precious headless Lucy. My chickens free range from about 2 in the afternoon until around 8:45 in the evening. Lucy and my rooster were close. Always together, sleep next to each other, and she is allowed to take food out of his mouth. Tonight, he has been standing at the run fencing constantly looking out for her and crowing and crowing to have her come back. Breaks my heart. Whatever you can do to outfox that fox, do it. Put up a Fort Knox around it if you have to. It is too painful to lose a pet that has a piece of your heart.

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

I’d wait for it and shoot that pesky little brat. If it comes that frequently hide somewhere and whip out the shotgun. Lol if you live in a surburban neighborhood and can’t I agree with hot wire and motion lights, that’s what we have. They work great.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

"Here I am, what are you going to do"?

Shotgun.

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

"Here I am, what are you going to do"?

Shotgun.

Exactly! You got it!