Would a fox take more than one at a time?

[Naiku]

Having a rough day here.... Our guinea got caught in the neighbors fence and is so torn up I don't think she will make it. Decided to check on the chickens and right away noticed 2 missing, an Americana hen and a Mille Fleur rooster.

After a bit of searching around I found some of the roosters feathers about 15' outside of the woods that edge the property, looking in the woods I then found a bunch of feathers from the hen about 15' inside the woods. So, our flock has gone from 6 to 4 in the space of an afternoon, not including the guinea.

We let the chickens free range, actually stopped for a while as we lost a hen and really good rooster a while back. But, just got used to letting them out again and enjoying watching them roam all around and hang out with the neighbors ducks.

I am assuming a fox got them, but is it normal that it would take 2 like that and in broad daylight? They likely went missing around 5pm. Anything else likely to have got them? We have bears and coyotes in the area, but a fox seems the most likely culprit. At this point it's likely we will keep them fenced in again for a while, despite how happy they are walking all around. Never would have guessed having chickens was this stressful, last one we lost a bear pulled the fence over, reached in and snatched a chicken right out of the run.

I may end up extending their run, it's currently 30x15, I hate not letting them roam, but losing them sucks.

 

[Piotre]

I've had a fox take 6 of my turkeys and chickens in 1 nite (I forgot to lock the coops). Saw it on video camera system. This spring I lost 5 hens in daylite to fox. About 5pm and it must've been fast, because I was around. Regrettfully, my dog is getting to old to protect them the way she used to (she sleeps too much).

 

[keesmom]

Yes, a fox will take more than one and during daylight hours. Had a fox get 6 chickens a month ago in the 10 seconds it took my husband to get out the door. It was 10 am. We also lost our entire first flock to a fox 20 years ago, at noon.

 

[Naiku]

Thanks, figured it would be quick enough to get more than one if it wanted. Sadly, our Guinea did not make it either, just buried her.

We have a dog as well, but she's gone blind so does not even scare the ducks or chickens as she can't see them.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome, and so sorry for your loss. Add electric fencing, or electric poultry netting from Premier1supplies.com. Meanwhile lock your survivors in their safe coop and run!
We lost ten nice laying hens one afternoon to a sick mangy fox, who was seen, and not shot that day. He was killed a week later by one of the neighbors I alerted, though. It's really difficult to live trap a fox!
Good luck, Mary

 

[Naiku]

Electric fencing or electric poultry netting is not really a feasible option, we have 5 acres that there could free range on, so it would be too cost prohibitive. The run is pretty secure, the fence is almost 6 feet tall and buried a little into the ground to stop anything from digging underneath as well and we always close them in at night.

Hopefully, we can build the flock back up as we have 2 other hens sitting on some eggs that should be hatching any day soon. Silver lining, although I will miss our mean little Mille Fleur rooster!!

 

[HollyWoozle]

I'm sorry for your loss. We had 8 hens taken in December, in the afternoon. The fox took all the corpses and we never saw or heard until it was too late. We had a new pony arrive that day and were in and out constantly... fox must've crept around the house without us noticing and maybe carried several away at a time before coming back.

 

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

So sorry for you loss.

I've had several fox attacks until I successfully captured the rascal using a live trap. Only once did it run off with more than one hen, the other times it either grabbed one hen and left the rest alone, or beheaded all of my poor birds.

 

[Naiku]

Some good news, last night while in the kitchen I noticed our little rooster walking slowly across the yard, almost could not believe what I was seeing. Went out and got him back up to the run, he's injured... limping and missing a number of feathers, looks like he has what I suspect are some puncture wounds from the fox biting him, but no open wounds. Going to get him some medicated food, lots of clean water and hope he recovers.

Honestly, shocked he made it through the night in the woods. Between the fox, there are a number of other things that would have tried to eat the little guy. Really hope he makes it.

 

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

You will want to give him antibiotics to ward off infections due to the bite wounds.
One of my roos got attacked by a fox who tore off most of his neck skin, but he lived (for me) to tell the tale.