The dreaded fox

[crazychicken79]

help! Today I witnessed a red fox grab one of my baby chickens in broad daylight. My chickens are free range during the day and are locked up at night. After witnessing this I got everyone in and realized several more were taken as well. How do I get rid of this predator? I can't let them out until this thing is caught. He will pick them all off.

 

[PatrickRoo]

help! Today I witnessed a red fox grab one of my baby chickens in broad daylight. My chickens are free range during the day and are locked up at night. After witnessing this I got everyone in and realized several more were taken as well. How do I get rid of this predator? I can't let them out until this thing is caught. He will pick them all off.

You can buy solar powered electric poultry netting at https://www.premier1supplies.com/ It's mobile, which means you can move the netting around to wherever you want your chickens to roam and simply place them in the netting. They will be protected and won't fly out. You can try to kill the fox, but I'd say buying electric netting is much easier. (Plus, just because you only see one fox doesn't mean there aren't any more foxes out there.)

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I'm afraid even if you kill this fox there will be others ready to move in to its territory once it's gone. My advice would be to build a secure run for your birds to keep them safe. Foxes sure are bold and be it day or night they will be there eyeing up their next meal.

 

[Trish1974]

I agree with both the above. Your best defense is to lock them up or pasture them within an electric fence. Even if you manage to get a kill shot on one fox, (which I have yet to achieve as they are so darn quick) there are others.

 

[Howard E]

You are correct about a fox picking them all off. My daughter lost all her first flock to a fox. Her current bunch no longer free range......never leave the protection of a secure run.........but all of them are still alive because of it, and the fox is still around.

So beyond a secure run they never leave, if you want to allow them "yard time", best option for that is an electric fence. Without some means of deterrent to protect the birds at all times, predators like your fox just move in and take them. In their eyes, an easy, tasty meal. Why not kill them all? They don't understand the part about you not wanting them around. As is, there is no risk to them at all. Only reward.

The electric fence is the great equalizer. It alters the risk / reward equation in your favor. Go for the chickens behind a well built, really hot fence and by making an attempt on your birds, they risk getting their face blasted off by a really hot shock, with almost no chance of a reward for their effort. Faced with that choice, they move on to something less tasty, but far less risky.

 

[Trish1974]

As an alternative to the electric poultry fence (for grazing, I still recommend you line your run in electric fence)you could build a small chicken tractor to put your girls in and move them around the yard to eat grass and bugs, that's what I did. I took 2 8' 2x4s to make the sides and 2 4' 2x4s for the ends. I arched welded wire fence over the top and nailed it to the boards (which were nailed together to make the frame). I cut out a 1'x1' door at one end and cut out a corresponding hole in their run fence to butt it up against. I trained them to go in it by sprinkling mealworms in the far end. That only took about 2 days for them to learn because once they knew they were going to eat good stuff they basically trample each other getting in there now!

 

[wleighton]

help! Today I witnessed a red fox grab one of my baby chickens in broad daylight. My chickens are free range during the day and are locked up at night. After witnessing this I got everyone in and realized several more were taken as well. How do I get rid of this predator? I can't let them out until this thing is caught. He will pick them all off.

Hi crazychicken79! Sorry to hear about your fox, I came here to read some solutions to the same problem.

We've had our chickens for about a year now and we've (knocks on wood) haven't had problems with predators. We've been so lucky not to lose one yet. We've had two dog attacks which we brought our girls to the vet for care. Outside of that we've been really lucky. We live on 5 acres of pasture that abuts a forest. We see hawks, hear the owls, coyotes, and raccoons. Yesterday our neighbor called to us to tell us that we had a fox heading over to our property. Neighbors on both sides have chickens, one i know for sure lost their whole flock to a weasel in the fall. I immediately got our girls in the coop/run and they haven't been let out yet. They normally free range all day whether we're home or not.

Now for all I know the fox could have been living near us for the whole year and only now made an appearance. I'm hoping that by leaving them in the secure run for a week will make the fox lose interest and move on to an area that provides easier meals. But I can't be sure. Electric fence isn't exactly in our budget right now. I've heard of hanging cds, walking the area more frequently, utilizing our dog, etc. Hopeful for other thoughts ideas or words of encouragement!

 

[jolly wattles]

As an alternative to the electric poultry fence (for grazing, I still recommend you line your run in electric fence)you could build a small chicken tractor to put your girls in and move them around the yard to eat grass and bugs, that's what I did. I took 2 8' 2x4s to make the sides and 2 4' 2x4s for the ends. I arched welded wire fence over the top and nailed it to the boards (which were nailed together to make the frame). I cut out a 1'x1' door at one end and cut out a corresponding hole in their run fence to butt it up against. I trained them to go in it by sprinkling mealworms in the far end. That only took about 2 days for them to learn because once they knew they were going to eat good stuff they basically trample each other getting in there now!
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Do you stake it down or anything? Seems a fox or coyote could easily stick it's nose under and flip it up.

 

[Saint_ Marwenne_Chickens]

We have layered defence from foxes. On the front lines are the alpacas (They're really protecting the sheep, but it works for chickens too). Next is urine (Foxes are dogs, and dogs mark their territory with urine, so it's a natural deterrent). Then our heavily chicken-wired back yard, then the electric netting, then the roosters . We have entire army, ready for action against the evil of FOX.

 

[Trish1974]

Do you stake it down or anything? Seems a fox or coyote could easily stick it's nose under and flip it up.

No, I should have mentioned I only put them in it when I'm outside with them. It needs moved every so often anyway.