Urgent!!! FOX TOOK A CHICKEN!

[Helenambm10]

So picture me, my first flock, I go out at around 5:30pm, suns already down. I’m out to close up the door to my chicken coop, I’m counting up my flock and I notice one Is missing. I look around trying to see if she some how got out and bam! A cluster trail of feathers with drops of blood along the way. Something took my baby, I’m assuming a fox because I saw one up the road last week. What do I do?!?!! How do I control this pest?!?! Please help!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Sorry to hear about your loss.
You would have to keep your chickens locked up in a secure run or in their coop until the fox moves on. Foxes are very smart and can figure out your routine. So, if you need to switch it up a bit and lock them in earlier, that might work as well.
If it were me, they would be in a secure run and not free ranging until I was sure the fox was gone.
I believe you can shoot the fox too if you're up for that.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Sorry to hear that
All that you can do is listed above by @Soon2BChixMom
I have also had many issues with foxes but do make sure your coop is secure.

 

[cmom]

I too have lost birds to fox. I now have electric wire around my pens/runs and coops concrete under the gates and heavy duty netting covering all of the pens. I have several game cameras on my property and most nights I see a fox. Last night at my chick/grow-out coop

Other visitors I see occasionally.

 

[chickens really]

Ask around where the den is and destroy it..Took me 3 years to find out the den was next door to me...
Keep Birds in because Fox are bold and will take a Chicken while your standing there watching.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Ask around where the den is and destroy it..Took me 3 years to find out the den was next door to me...
Keep Birds in because Fox are bold and will take a Chicken while your standing there watching.

Had that happen while I was in the house on the computer. Luckily my dogs saved her, she lives to this day

 

[Callender Girl]

I'm sorry for the loss of your baby.

I've never specifically had foxes, but for me, the thing about having a predator take one of your birds is that it makes you feel unsafe all the time -- almost paranoid about if or when it might return, no matter what you do.

Hardware cloth is now my best friend; all the runs and coops are fortified, and I have Nite Gard lights on all sides. But, I still worry that some day, some how, something will get through. Best wishes for protecting your babies.

 

[Folly's place]

SoontobeChix has given very good advice, and the electric fencing makes a big difference, if it's legal where you live. HowardE has very good information about it, and Premier1supplies.com has good advice and products too.
Having chickens, you will have predator issues, and need to be ready!
Mary

 

[cmom]

I had my first kill in years. There were 3 piles of feathers near the coop. As I was doing my fox proofing, a bird showed up with some feathers missing on her back but otherwise ok. She must have been hiding somewhere but I don't know where. I went out to see if I could follow a feather trail but there wasn't any but went around looking for clues. Even though I have taken many precautions. Somehow it got a latch to a pen unlatched. Yesterday I wired the gates shut so there was no way the fox could do that again. I haven't been closing the pop doors. Yesterday I also put more electric wire up and a skirt under one small section of fence where I didn't have an electric wire but I also put an electric wire up there too. I temporarily hooked it up so it was working last night. I didn't have everything I needed but enough to get it working. Tomorrow I'm going into to town to the TSC farm swap and will pick up the proper materials so I can do the work properly. I put up a couple of cameras one facing the gates and one facing a live trap I set out last night. Today I might set out some leg traps.The fox didn't go near the coop last night.The fox was here last night but was caught on another camera.

 

[Caileys_Chickens]

If it's a fox, take the advice from the people above. Foxes have been known to go into a frenzy and kill everything in there and leave it. Me and my mom tried our dogs pee around the pen to keep away minks and other animals alike, it seems to work well, too.