What do I do

[Party_Chicken]

I posted a thread a while back about a fox problem I had. It attacked a few time injuring 4 birds and taking 3. After it took the third hen it didn’t come back for a while until one night the last week of June it attacked both my sex links but didn’t take them. Then about a week after that a 13 week old cockerel disappeared and we suspect the fox. I went away on vacation and found one of my hens missing. I think it was the fox. Sense then I have seen it three times the first time it was sitting next to my shed watching my hens running around and screaming I came out to see what was happening and I saw it sitting there the it stared at me it didn’t leave until I yelled at it. The second time it was in the woods quite a few yards away from me but I could see it’s fur. The third time it was doing what it was doing the first time. I think that this fox is getting bold I have three dogs that it could easily hurt and my siblings are 9 years old I don’t think it would go after them but it’s still unsettling. I’m unsure of what to do I don’t what it hurting my chickens but they are his natural prey so that’s just life is it hurts dogs or kids that’s just wrong. What do I do?

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Possibly trap it? Set out a trap for it and see if you catch it? You can look up your state laws on catch and release or even killing it once trapped. It’ll keep coming as long as you have chickens.

 

[Sally PB]

Your chickens need to be contained in a predator proof run. Mr./Mrs. fox will keep coming back as long as it can access your dinner buffet.

 

[Party_Chicken]

Your chickens need to be contained in a predator proof run. Mr./Mrs. fox will keep coming back as long as it can access your dinner buffet.

We have a predator proof run but it gets cramped with 13 in there. I keep them in there when I’m away but when I’m home I let them free range. The first time was the only time they’ve been out for the sightings.

 

[Party_Chicken]

Possibly trap it? Set out a trap for it and see if you catch it? You can look up your state laws on catch and release or even killing it once trapped. It’ll keep coming as long as you have chickens.

We’ve thought about trapping but it seems pretty impossible to trap a fox. A snare has been the most recent idea.

 

[Evadig]

How big are the dogs? Generally foxes don't like dogs and will stay away from them.
Is it possible to make a larger pen for them to run around in while you supervise and then lock them up in the predator proof run when you're not there? That way they can get out of the run but not be scattered all over the yard. I've done this with several puppy pens and a lot of garden fencing (for covering the top so they can't fly over).

 

[Party_Chicken]

How big are the dogs? Generally foxes don't like dogs and will stay away from them.

We have a big old lady who’s about 75 pounds but cants hear that well she’s 14 and a half the we have a medium sized one who’s is scared of everything im kinda concerned about her the we have a five month puppy who’s about her size.

Is it possible to make a larger pen for them to run around in while you supervise and then lock them up in the predator proof run when you're not there? That way they can get out of the run but not be scattered all over the yard. I've done this with several puppy pens and a lot of garden fencing (for covering the top so they can't fly over).

It’s been discussed we have a prefab coop situation and I want to expand but it would be a huge and costly endeavor I’ve also consider cheaping out and doing a hoop coop but that might not be as safe.

 

[Evadig]

We have a big old lady who’s about 75 pounds but cants hear that well she’s 14 and a half the we have a medium sized one who’s is scared of everything im kinda concerned about her the we have a five month puppy who’s about her size.

It’s been discussed we have a prefab coop situation and I want to expand but it would be a huge and costly endeavor I’ve also consider cheaping out and doing a hoop coop but that might not be as safe.

I know! I've had chickens for two years now and I'm just now getting a predator proof run. But we've been lucky so far not to have predators during the day, except for hawks. I just don't like to kill things so that's why I suggested the puppy gate pen. Chicken tractors would work too, maybe one for every five hens...

 

[Party_Chicken]

I know! I've had chickens for two years now and I'm just now getting a predator proof run. But we've been lucky so far not to have predators during the day, except for hawks. I just don't like to kill things so that's why I suggested the puppy gate pen. Chicken tractors would work too, maybe one for every five hens...

We jumped into it and had no idea what we were doing I’m doing my first round with meat birds in a few months so I’m going to build a PVC pice tractor. I’m not a skilled carpenter at all so I’m going to have to figure out something easy. I have a cockerel and I would like him to stay with all his girls so splitting them up isn’t something I wanna do. My uncle loves to hunt and if I got the license I bet he could get it. We live in a neighborhood though so I don’t know how we could work that part out.

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

Eliminate the threat.
Most states allow this but check first before doing anything crazy, I will defend my girls and their right to forage at all cost. There will be other threats along the way, and we deal with them when they come as well, it's better for me to deal harshly with the threat than to mourn over the loss of my girls, just my opinion by the way.

I take deadly action when needed, when you do all your can to secure the area and the threat still takes life, then the choice for me is to take action immediately and remove such threat by whatever means necessary.