What happens when foxes start eating chickens (graphic)

[DarJones]

If you have ever been through a fox taking your chickens, you have a good idea how they operate. They have a typical stalking sequence where they hide behind objects in the landscape, get within 30 feet of their target, rush out and grab a chicken, then run immediately back to shelter in the woods. The fox is usually exposed for 5 seconds or less. I had a problem since March with chickens being taken. I had to do something about it or would have lost all of my birds.

My house has an end window that overlooks the chicken barn and yard area where they spend most of the day. I removed the screen and lifted the window a few inches. I placed my loaded 12 gauge shotgun on the window sill (could not do this with children around!). Then I sat in a chair near the window and waited for the chickens to squawk. They will make alarm sounds when they see the fox and it is guaranteed they will see it before I do. I started killing foxes in June and think I finally got the last one this week. It was VERY difficult to kill them. I got lucky with the last 2, they were more focused on the chickens than on me aiming a gun at them. I shot them just before they ran out from behind some bushes. The key to killing them is that I was where they could not see me until I had the gun pointed at them.

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox1.jpg

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox2.jpg

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox3.jpg

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox4.jpg

Some will consider killing foxes brutal. I consider @70 dead chickens (mostly new chicks) eaten by the foxes to be brutal. Mother nature makes NO allowances for how you or I feel. You have a choice, protect your birds or know with certainty that predators will kill them. Am I certain this is the last of them? On the contrary, this area - like most of the eastern U.S. - is loaded with foxes. There will be another, it is just a matter of time. Meantime, I have about 200 eggs in the incubator and about 40 chicks growing.

 

[dawg53]

Good shooting!

 

[ikoCRO]

You have a choice, protect your birds or know with certainty that predators will kill them....

Protect your animals, yes, but not by shooting wild animals, but protect your animals by fencing them off from predators!
In Europe, you would be fined for killing foxes, because it is strictly forbidden!
The veterinary inspector would fine you because your animals are not properly fenced!
But that's in Europe!

 

[Captain13]

We have to kill them here. The Department of Natural Resources allows it because of the high rate of rabies in foxes and raccoons. If a fox comes in contact with your dog, the dog has to be quarantined for 12 weeks in a pen that you have to build and the state has to approve, cost of the pen is around $1500. You can trap or kill. Most choose to kill. I’m one of them. I shot a fox just before lunch two weeks ago that had grabbed my neighbor’s rooster. The rooster and the fox both lived, but the fox has a noticeable limp now.

 

[nuthatched]

I'm sorry you lost birds but I'm glad you popped him. I find foxes creepy, nice aim!

 

[Brooks_]

In Europe, you would be fined for killing foxes, because it is strictly forbidden!

Except for royalty, they can have fox hunts.

 

[mowin]

Protect your animals, yes, but not by shooting wild animals, but protect your animals by fencing them off from predators!
In Europe, you would be fined for killing foxes, because it is strictly forbidden!
The veterinary inspector would fine you because your animals are not properly fenced!
But that's in Europe!

Sorry, but shooting the predators is protecting my livestock.
So if I had the birds in a 5' high fenced in field, and a fox jumped the fence and killed chickens, you'd be ok with killing the fox? Or would you expect one to spend $100's or even $1000's of dollars that they might not have to fortify the field further?

Thankfully I don't live in Europe, and have plenty of ammo.

 

[MomaYow]

If you have ever been through a fox taking your chickens, you have a good idea how they operate. They have a typical stalking sequence where they hide behind objects in the landscape, get within 30 feet of their target, rush out and grab a chicken, then run immediately back to shelter in the woods. The fox is usually exposed for 5 seconds or less. I had a problem since March with chickens being taken. I had to do something about it or would have lost all of my birds.

My house has an end window that overlooks the chicken barn and yard area where they spend most of the day. I removed the screen and lifted the window a few inches. I placed my loaded 12 gauge shotgun on the window sill (could not do this with children around!). Then I sat in a chair near the window and waited for the chickens to squawk. They will make alarm sounds when they see the fox and it is guaranteed they will see it before I do. I started killing foxes in June and think I finally got the last one this week. It was VERY difficult to kill them. I got lucky with the last 2, they were more focused on the chickens than on me aiming a gun at them. I shot them just before they ran out from behind some bushes. The key to killing them is that I was where they could not see me until I had the gun pointed at them.

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox1.jpg

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox2.jpg

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox3.jpg

https://www.selectedplants.com/miscan/fox4.jpg

Some will consider killing foxes brutal. I consider @70 dead chickens (mostly new chicks) eaten by the foxes to be brutal. Mother nature makes NO allowances for how you or I feel. You have a choice, protect your birds or know with certainty that predators will kill them. Am I certain this is the last of them? On the contrary, this area - like most of the eastern U.S. - is loaded with foxes. There will be another, it is just a matter of time. Meantime, I have about 200 eggs in the incubator and about 40 chicks growing.

I believe you did the right thing! You have to protect what is yours! I believe there was a fox getting my ducks. I am not able to sit by a window to watch and watch for it, I wish I could, I would have shot the thing too! I didn't need it going after my silkies not my other chickens for that matter. So, I moved on to plan #2. Set out live traps for a week. However, I only caught a possum the first night, 2nd night I set out 2 traps. I got a possum in one and 2 skunks in the cage. That blew my mind. I never knew until later on that day when I took them to relocate them. After that, something was eating the bate but nothing inside, this went on for the next 5 days it did not set the trap off. My guess it was a fox. It could stick its head inside and grab the hanging bate without having to actually go inside the trap. My next thought was, I needed a bigger trap. They are about $200.00 and that just isn't happening because, my first thought is that is too much money and beside what in the world would I do with it, if I did manage to catch it? There is no way I could pick that thing up, and there is no way that I would. I certainly wouldn't relocate for it to go after someone else pets.
I actually had to take other measures, and go with plan #3. Foxes are opportunistic eaters. So, I went with that. I am not about to say what I had to do. Needless to say, after the death of 5 of my boys, one in which that I was very fond of. He had hatched on my late daddy's birthday. I called him "My Little Ray Of Sunshine." My daddy's name is Ray. When he came up missing, that was it! I had had enough!!! Needless to say, after 3 days. I have not had a single duck come up missing. Almost 4 months has passed now, not a single duck has gone missing since. I love animals, I truly do, but there comes a time when you have to stand your ground to keep wild life from bringing harm to your animals.

 

[Sussex19]

There's quite a lot of foxes here, and as they are introduced and a pest, all the farmers around shoot them. Because of that, they are very wary and have showed zero interest in my chooks. But I don't really understand why they don't want to risk a nice chicken dinner?

 

[MomaYow]

There's quite a lot of foxes here, and as they are introduced and a pest, all the farmers around shoot them. Because of that, they are very wary and have showed zero interest in my chooks. But I don't really understand why they don't want to

Protect your animals, yes, but not by shooting wild animals, but protect your animals by fencing them off from predators!
In Europe, you would be fined for killing foxes, because it is strictly forbidden!
The veterinary inspector would fine you because your animals are not properly fenced!
But that's in Europe!

So, does everyone has at least an 8 foot fence to protect their animals from foxes in Europe? They can easily jump over a 6 foot fence, Some may very well be able to jump even higher. I don't know? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Is it to save the foxes for the fox hunts that they have over there so those that go on these hunts can shoot and kill the foxes for you, yet allow them to feast on a person's animals in the meanwhile? I am just trying to understand is all. All my life I thought I wanted to move back where my ancestors came from and where I actually still have family that I have never met. Hummmmm, maybe not so much now, If I am not allowed to protect my animals from preditors. They don't call them foxes for nothing. They are clever and very sly.