What keeps taking them?

[tharrell]

So far it looks like for the first time we have successfully kept out whatever was trying to get in! I took the dogs out just now and inspected the coop/run and whatever it was tried to dig under in 4 places before it gave up. Looks like the hardware cloth is working!!! Hopefully they don't figure out how to chew through it or something. We did double it up though, and I left all the edges pointy. I didn't want the chickens walking on the wire so I got 2 big bags of wood shavings and spread them not just in the coop where they normally are, but all through the run too. It made it smell really nice out there too! I really hope this is the last of my worries with this. My husband told me last night that if this doesn't solve the problem that we are done with chickens.

Wish me luck!!!

 

[Pop]

Good Luck. Sure hope that you've found the cure, just keep reminding your hubby how tasteless those "store bought" eggs are.

 

[LynneP]

Congratulations on your initial success!

The foxes will probably take a break then come back and try again, and you may get separate individuals trying different places for a while. Since you are in a mainly urban environment and are protecting the chickens, they will switch back to Plan B- pets. Ugh. But that's how it works. You have to make *your* animals unavailable- and let others worry about theirs. You seem to have a very dense population of foxes- I love the beasts, but like you, I'm not willing to share my flock with them!

If hubby is willing to place a human male urine scent on each digging hole it sends a clear message to them that a human male is setting up territory he is willing to defend.

 

[elizwlsn]

skunks and weasels both will take the head to drink the blood as that's the part they want and then leave the body.

 

[TammyTX]

Mother Earth News had an article that said old toothless raccons will do that too. I had a Porcelain roo that came up missing a head but I believe it was something else...

A neighbor saw a fox in the yard part of our property last fall. These photos make me a worried! EEEK! I need to get that hot wire up!!

 

[Big dreams]

How about an electric fence?

 

[Chicken Dave]

This has happened to someone I know and it turned out to be a skunk. The skunk killed a beautiful pair of white cochins. It coul also be a weasel or racoon. I have seen racoons trying to get into my coop at night. If I were you I would put traps around the coop and if you catch the problem either drive far away and release it or kill it. Good luck.