What keeps taking them?

[emilyweck]

I would did the cloth down atleast 6 inches, but I would also skirt the outside of the run. What I did was dig the hardware cloth 12 inches below grade and then bent it out in an "L" shape and then covered with dirt. Haven't had any problems and I've got raccoons and possums around. They'll get frustrated with the wire and usually stop digging. Covering the bottom of the is a good idea too. I ended up retro-fitting my run and it was sort of a pain, but I sleep much better at night. You can never be too protected, in my opinion. Good Luck and so sorry about your losses.
Emily

 

[Pop]

Sorry for your loss. Raccoon's have just about wiped me out this year. I went from 14 down to 3 in about 2 weeks. Most of the time just the heads were missing although I did find one inside the henhouse that had opened up and mostly eaten.
After the first raid I started placing a live trap inside the henhouse. As the rascal entered the henhouse they also entered the live trap. 2 nights after placing the trap Mr. Raccoon came back and couldn't go home.
Thinking that I had caught the varmint I built a wire enclosure that allowed the chickens out of the henhouse but not out into their pen. They like to get up earlier than I do.

About a week later our jack russell started barking her head off at 2 A.M. so I grabbed the 12 gauge and headed to the henhouse. Sure enough a raccoon was inside the henhouse killing chickens. I had quit using the live trap but had started closing the sliding door that the chicks use. Mrs Raccoon slipped the sliding door up and went out into the enclosed pen quicker than I could type this. Sadly her escape from the enclosure didn't happen quick enough and we'll leave it at that.
Each night I go out and close and lock the sliding door and each morning I reverse the procedure. I bought 12 replacements the other day but I must remain ever vigilant. Them raccoon's are persistent and smart but if they pick the lock they deserve a chicken.

 

[tharrell]

Geeze, do my poor chickens have any hope? I have a gut feeling that it is raccoons and foxes. Just seems to fit. So I think from the advice I have gotten so far I am going to completely cover the coop/run with hardware cloth, and then bury it 12 inches. My mom gave me a huge doghouse they don't use the other day, and we were thinking about attaching a run onto that and then shutting them in at night. It's made from heavy plastic. Maybe I can force, oh I mean ever so nicely ask my husband to start on that project. We went a couple months without fresh eggs, and the store ones just taste like nothing to me. All the salt and pepper in the world can't help them. Oh, and did I mention I live in a regular suburban area? I have a good size yard, but I have a six foot fence all around me, and a stone fence in the back facing where the foxes live. Right across the street probably and 8th of a mile away it's all farm land and open space. You would think they would go do their hunting over there.

 

[LynneP]

Many communities in the UK have large populations of village and urban foxes. They live much like feral cats ( and prey on them), and den up creatively in the landscape among older foundations and dry ditches...

 

[Sallyschickens]

Those photos were incredible! I have never seen anything like it!

So sorry about your loss...it bites to loose a hen.

I am going out to buy "hardware cloth" right now!! Is that what you ask for, or is there a more hi-tech name for it?

-Sally

 

[tharrell]

I think that's exacally what we have!

 

[Ol'FashionHen]

, oh my word....all those foxes, I've never seen so many in one spot before. Usually we have many deer here at once but golly of course they don't eat chicken. Bless your heart yes bury some wire and thick whew that would freak me out. My neighbor said he seen a coyote near our farm the other day

, I'm on the lookout you bet!!!!

 

[rancher hicks]

I'm sorry for your loss but appreciate this post. I'm just starting and reading how people are solving this problem is a help.


Would a dog help drive the foxes out of town?

 

[tharrell]

I don't think atleast MY dogs have any affect on them. I have a 40 pound mutt, a golden/lab mix who we are fostering for a service dog program (she's only about 4.5 months but already bigger than our 40 pounder) and a small pack of chihuahuas. Only my alpha male out of the chi's ever barks, and sometimes he starts barking in the middle of the night for no reason and once this started happening I started thinking that he heard or saw something. My mutt is a huge baby and he would probably run and hide, and I don't think it's in the lab/golden's blood to do anything either.

And if you think those pictures are anything, you should see it when they are all actually out there. I took those from our upstairs bedroom window which is about 100 yards away and my camera wouldn't zoom that far so it's blury. On nice spring evenings there are litterally about 8-9 adults out, and all the babies. The parents stand guard on different parts of the hill, and all the babies run and play just like puppies. We have walked the dogs over there, and there is a big hole which I'm assuming is the opening to the den. I always thought it was really cute until my chickens and ducks ended up dead.....

 

[mmtillman]

tharrell ,Great fox pix!
We have the very same view out the back pasture behind our house!! A family of foxes that have been living under the neighbors barn for 3 years, that we know of now.
That is why, this winter, hubby and I built a FORT KNOX coop, as well!!!
Next year we will finish the FORT KNOX RUN !!!
I will not be in the house, if my birds are outside this summer!!!!!
If they are out, I will be right there with them !!! Never want to go thru loosing another flock again....
( Oh did I mention ?...we lost all 9 of my birds last summer ?

We had a little kids play house for a coop, and were new at raising chickens.
Also, had never heard of BYC...so were totally uneducated about keeping chickens at that time )
Now after finding BYC..we feel prepared to handle the predator problem
Again thanks , tharrell, for the great pix...helps us all put a face to that predator who sneaks into the yard, when we are asleep!!!