Hungry as a !
I used to think foxes were swell. I thought they were desirable animals to have skulking around ones house. When I saw one I greeted it cheerfully, friendly-like.
They eat mice you see, and I've got mice. My cat Patches does her part, but still I have many many ticks in my yard, so many I am afraid to garden without toxic protection on. I love essential oils, but let's face it, they do not keep ticks off, no matter what oils you use or how much of them, and they are expensive. So a fox or two to eat the mice that host the ticks that sink their mouths into humans that get lyme disease wouldn't hurt at all, now would it?
WRONG!
I lost one chicken to a fox last week, and today nearly lost another. I heard the ruckus, ran out and scared that beautiful animal off. He (she?) had something in its mouth as it scurried away, something not nearly large enough to be a chicken. But one of my girls, Barbara, lay inert and partially plucked outside the gate to her yard, stunned but still alive. Somehow this fox got the large chicken OUT of the chicken yard! I've since read a fox can pry open a gate, so a new gate is in order. Until then though, the hens are now confined to their coop and run unless I am out there with them. Too bad, because they are used to free ranging for 4 to 8 hours a day.
Barbara seemed fine after a few minutes and I could not find any wounds. She got up on her roost easily. They are all now in a very secure run and coop, or so I hope. I'm not sure what lengths a hungry fox can go to. We'll see how many hens I have left tomorrow morning.
This is my entry to @mariannewest freewrite challenge https://steempeak.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/weekend-freewrite-6-1-2019-single-prompt-option#comments Full disclosure, I cheated. First I wrote the piece, then I went to the single prompt options to choose a prompt that fit. Ooopsie!
The image is mine of a trinket in my house. I don't have any fox related things so you get a chicken related thing.
I am sorry you lost a bird to the fox. The fox are so smart.
I am only raising my own food, so not big time, but I guess bigger than a 6 chicken flock which is the most urban people are usually allowed.
I haven't figured out the fox yet. They can climb, so we electrified the layer pen. Actually it was already electrified, because raccoons can climb too. But now it is HOT: 7000 volts I think it is. So hot we put the wire on extension holders so the chickens don't hit it. And it's a dedicated charger.
The fox figured that out: if she couldn't get in, get the chickens out. She she'd charge the fence, the birds would freak, and 1 would eventually fly out.
So we put up a fox guard fence about 6' away from the pen's fence and that stopped the charging by the fox. We'd lost 3 by the time we figured this out.
Then we stopped seeing the foxes. Haven't for a couple weeks. But we are still on guard....There's more where those came from.
We liked watching the fox, but truth be told, I prefer having the coyotes. They aren't as smart and we've never had a problem with them and the birds. But they've been nearly wiped out around here in the last 10 years, so now we have fox to deal with.
We don't kill the predators. The rodent population is unbelievable around where without the coyotes. As much as the foxes are a problem, we won't kill them. They do eat the rodents too. I just wish people would not hunt the coyotes.
Thank you for all that information! So if I understand correctly, the fox guard is electrified? I'm going to have to do something. I can't stand not letting them out of their run, even if it is huge. They've had it so much better!
The electric netting inside the fox guard is NOT electrified because we only have heavy duty chargers. The 3 electric strands, at 8" 16" and 30", are set about 6' from the netting and are VERY hot! We also have the hot wires at the same height on extension holders around the stationary pen. Fence is checked daily.
Oh my. This might be too much for little ole me. And I mean ole. It might be time to find a new home for my chickens. I haven't seen any sign of the fox for two days though. It's likely animal control has been called on the fellow.
We've not seen ours in a couple weeks, but we are still vigilant...
And the addition we are building is because we are elderly and don't want to do stairs any more... :))
We've not seen ours
In a couple weeks, but we
Are still vigilant...
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I'm so sorry you lost a hen (and almost another)! I don't have foxes in my part of the country, but we have our own hungry critters to deal with. I guess the "fox in the henhouse" saying is there for a reason. I hope you can keep your girls safe. I have the same attitude about raccoons. They are really cute, but they are brutal to poultry. I feel guilty about demonizing them when they are just trying to make a living like the rest of us, but really! There have to be enough rodents out there to feed everybody! Keep us posted on your fox-proofing efforts. I'm curious to see what works.
@goldenoakfarm seems to have figured out how to keep them safe, and she's the real deal. I'm small time. Here's what she sent me when I asked her how she does it.
https://steempeak.com/@goldenoakfarm/psb83r
This looks like a lot, and it is, but the many links document her trials and solutions really well.
I'm having many problems this year, not only with chickens, so I took the easy way out and ordered a UFO shaped fiberglass portable coop and a run for now. I just have to find the four hours and a brawny female or fellow to help put it together. Then I think I may use something of golden oak farm's to fashion a daytime safe yard for them.
I think the fox is very beautiful. It's a special thrill when I spot it. I have mixed feelings about it eating my pets though, and I think in future it's better if I don't name and get attached to my chickens, maybe even eat them.
I'm small time too. We have enough dogs now that we don't lose hens unless they decide to sit on eggs in some undisclosed location. I have tried not to get attached to my chickens, and I mostly succeed, but inevitably there are a few who win me over in spite of myself. Those are the ones I look for at feeding time every day. I will check out the link, though. Knowledge is power!
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fox in the henhouse...sort of the classic view of foxes. SOrry about your loss.
THere are suddenly many foxes running around my town and there is a den of mother(and father?)/babies just a few houses down from me. THere has been a rash of shoe theft on the street....people are finding just one shoe in their yards, or one shoe missing after leaving a muddy pair outside. Does the fox think the shoes are chickens?! Or perhaps just a shoe fetish.
lol! Dogs will be dogs! In 20 years of living here I have only seen one fox before, and that was quite a ways from my house in the woods. Opossums are coming around a lot now too. Both good for tick control so I'll just have to step up my chicken containment game. And not leave any shoes outside.
Hopefully the new gate can keep your hen safe. !tip
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