How to keep red fox away from chickens?

[Birdie]

The camera finally caught the chicken thief! It's a small fox. I'm in an urban setting, so I'm shocked that we have foxes around here, but that's what it is. A red fox to be exact. I thought my problem was a skunk because it sort of leaves an odor behind. That darned fox chewed through the fence and can get my chickens through the air vent. I don't understand why my girls didn't make a ruckus. Maybe bantams don't kick up a loud fuss. What do I do about the fox? I don't think I'm allowed to shoot it. I'm in the city limits.

Ya'll, every time I type bantams, autocorrect changes it to Batman, so please excuse me if I've failed to make the correction. I bet Batman has some real fine chickens though.

 

[Barncat]

Trap it. If you lack traps or skill, ask around and someone will know a trapper who would do that for a fee.

 

[Rickinohio]

The camera finally caught the chicken thief! It's a small fox. I'm in an urban setting, so I'm shocked that we have foxes around here, but that's what it is. A red fox to be exact. I thought my problem was a skunk because it sort of leaves an odor behind. That darned fox chewed through the fence and can get my chickens through the air vent. I don't understand why my girls didn't make a ruckus. Maybe bantams don't kick up a loud fuss. What do I do about the fox? I don't think I'm allowed to shoot it. I'm in the city limits.

Ya'll, every time I type bantams, autocorrect changes it to Batman, so please excuse me if I've failed to make the correction. I bet Batman has some real fine chickens though.

My chicken house was about twelve by twelve the previous owner built it.it was divided off into three sections. Each was made from two by two's with chicken wire on the sides. And each had a door so you could walk into each compartment. My problem were minks but didn't know it at the time. He was getting thru the main door to the coop that was warped just a tad.so I cut a hole in the wire in the first compartment leading into the middle compartment. I cut it large enough to get my live trap thru it.i slid the trap almost all the way into the middle with the chickens.sure enough that night he walked right into the trap thinking he was walking right in with the chickens.i ended up catching two more that summer the same way thanks Rick

 

[Smarty Plants]

If you're using chicken wire for your fencing, switch to something stronger like hardware cloth. When I've dealt with predators in the past, I set up a few motion activated devices that would make noise and wiggle about when something got near.

 

[Chris T]

Ooh no, sorry about this, but foxes are a chicken farmer's greatest nightmare. It is terrifying to hear that it chewed its way through, although foxes are known to be good at assessing your brood and movements. I would suggest using a secure fencing or a pet to keep the foxes away.

 

[Breadtrk]

Traps are cheap and easy to use. Trap it, take it out of the city limits and shoot it.

 

[Qapla]

Some humane societies have traps you can use for free or very low cost if you don't want to buy one.

 

[Melvin]

Foxes are sneaky little creatures. They learn your routine and when your chickens are left alone. A hardware cloth perimeter may provide your coop with extra protection. You'll want to bury your fence at least six inches underground because foxes tend to dig under them to get in.

Have you thought about a livestock guardian? You could get a dog to protect your chickens, for instance.

 

[Qapla]

We had a problem with raccoons getting our chickens - we had to totally enclose the yard and coop and bury metal or fence around the base to keep them from getting in ... I'n sure foxes are just as persistent - and devious

 

[Chris T]

Foxes are sneaky little creatures. They learn your routine and when your chickens are left alone. A hardware cloth perimeter may provide your coop with extra protection. You'll want to bury your fence at least six inches underground because foxes tend to dig under them to get in.

Have you thought about a livestock guardian? You could get a dog to protect your chickens, for instance.

I like the idea of using a guardian animal. For a long time, guinea fowls and dogs have been used to protect chicken, but when it comes to keeping them safe from foxes, alpacas or llamas are better options.