Damn foxes

[aparker155]

I'm so upset today - I've lost 2 out of 3 of my ducks today to add to 2 chooks lost earlier this week (we think to one or more foxes)!!!! We live semi-rurally and regularly see foxes in the area but until now we have only lost 1 chook to a fox in the past 3-years since we've been keeping them. I am so angry & upset, and the poor remaining duck is so distressed (understandably).

I know we give our girls a really nice life by letting them free-range our 2.5 acres and I wouldn't have it any other way but this is sooo unfair - what's wrong with the hundreds of rabbits that eat everything in sight? Surely they're just as easy to catch as my poor girls??? I really hate the thought of penning the remaining girls in but I know I have to do so at least temporarily (until the fox forgets that there's a free food supply nearby at least).

Any thoughts on what I should do with my remaining duck? I'm reluctant to get anymore ducks until this fox problem has been sorted, but should I try and rehome my duck in the meantime?

Also, anyone found any really successful deterants? Other than a shotgun that is!

[Steve the Gas]

Sad isn't it.
Where there is 1 - there are more, if you remove one another will take its place.
The only way is to pen them, or dig a pond and leccy fence it etc.

[wendy]

What a shame. It is a fear we all live with, but that is why he catches them because they are easier to catch than the fast running, and hiding in burrows, rabbits.
But that is the way of the wild, if you let your poultry live a 'natural' life I am afraid.
My OH pee's around the back fence which seems to work, but that may be impossible with 2.5 acre's.
A shotgun will solve this problem, but as they are territorial another will take his place. What a bout a large enclosure and electric wire ?

[Mo]

Yes, that's the 'natural life' and the fox is part of nature. No use blaming Reynard for feeding the family.
It's a balance, but I suspect that now he knows, he will be back.

[Richard]

The fox cubs probably all flew their nest in October and started to find territories of their own (hence October is the biggest Fox roadkill month).

Some are still looking and it's by this time that rather than keep searching, they will fight to take over another's territory. Certainly my back garden is very noisy at night with foxes having punch ups. Big Ron usually see's them off though!

So in that sense, shooting the fox will have absolutely no purpose, it simply frees that territory up for another to move into.

In a few weeks they'll be starting to mate and the whole cycle starts over again.

I'm afraid the only way is prevention.

Richard

[foghornleghorn2]

Problem is now that your fox knows its easy pickings and really needs to be dealt with. Another fox will replace it but hopefully wont have the same knowledge.

If you free range them then it is always a risk and its not "if" its "when"

[Richard]

Quite agree foggy.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but letting them completely free range is like someone leaving a sign on a Bank door saying they're sorry for being shut, but they've left the safe door open if you need some cash.

With Ducks, you could dig out a large Pond and put an Island in the middle, but as foggy implied, they're like the Number 11 bus.... there'll be another one in a minute.

It is not the foxes fault. No offence, I've worn the T-Shirt myself and it took someone being very blunt with me to realise.

Richard

[macleaf]

What a shame. It is a fear we all live with, but that is why he catches them because they are easier to catch than the fast running, and hiding in burrows, rabbits.
But that is the way of the wild, if you let your poultry live a 'natural' life I am afraid.
My OH pee's around the back fence which seems to work, but that may be impossible with 2.5 acre's.
A shotgun will solve this problem, but as they are territorial another will take his place. What a bout a large enclosure and electric wire ?

hi Wendy,try human hair in nylon tights around the boundry this will work

[Steve the Gas]

Welcome

It's prevention rather than a futile cure.

[tiddles1]

hi macleaf please tell me how u got to know how that workd ???

[Richard]

This came from the very first series of River Cottage where HFW hung hair around his chicken run. He never did say it worked or not.

Thing is the Fox has every right to roam and hunt for his or her survival, we would. If I lose chickens to a fox, it's 100% my fault because I've overlooked something, not realised something or been irresponsible.

I think what all are saying above is the only way to be more sure about keeping your livestock is to fence them in, the more space the better of course and if you can afford it, electrify it.
Even then you have to check every day.

Nature is way more clever than us, we can dabble with preventive theories like human hair, weeing around the fence etc. The ideal world is green fields, sunny days, chickens happily grazing around the overgrowth, but........!

Richard

[dogcatcher]

As Richard says, fencing is the only way. The higher the better and with a couple of electric wires running round the bottom of the fence (on the outside!).
Last year's cubs have been pushed out and are setting up their own territories. In this weather the foxes are desperate for food, the mice are under the snow, the game birds are now too wise, so it's only road-kill or carrion or an unsecured chicken run.

[RAM]

Foxes are in full force here, i have noted several areas around the pen over the last few days where they have attempted to burrow, thankfully having read up on this forum before we began to keep chickens, and followed all your excellent advice, Mr and Mrs Fox have been unsuccesful...............so far

[tanyauk00]

me and my dog were playing in the back garden in the snow in full daylight yest n a fox was watchin us (and the chickens) when he noticed id seen him he made no attempt to run away either not letting the chickens free range without me with them now dnt wana risk it x

[jenfish]

I had one of the worse days in keeping livestock on Monday, a fox managed to jump my 6 foot wire fence and it killed 45 of my hens - I am devastated I knew each one and wept as I had to pick them up to dispose of them.

The up side to my livestock is my Oxford sandy and black giving birth to her first piglets. Nature has a funny way of giving highs and lows