# 14 out of 16 chickens dead



## Loganrt15 (May 24, 2016)

I raised 6 chickens from an incubator and ordered 10 online. They were about 1 month old, and 12 of them suddenly went missing overnight. I realized it was due to a fox that has killed some of my older chickens before. Today, out of the 4 chickens that were left, another one got killed. Later on today I checked again and another one was gone. The cage the chickens are in is surrounded with chicken wire from the bottom to the top. There is even chicken wire underneath of it so nothing could dig into it. I think the fox scared the chickens and they tried to escape through a small opening that I didn't realize the cage had. When they got out I think the fox snatched them. How do you catch a fox I am so mad about this, I've been raising and taming the chickens for a long time. Please give any ideas on how to catch or kill the fox.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Welcome to the forum. 
If I were you, I would concentrate building a predator proof pen or coop, cage or whatever using hardware cloth along with field fence. Chicken wire only keeps chickens in, but doesnt keep predators out. Where there is one fox, there are more, guaranteed. Not only fox, but ***** and possums etc....
You might have to resort to an electric fence.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Hi Logan! Welcome! We had a fox coming up at night as well. We have a trail camera on the coop all the time. We set a live trap deep in the bushes close by a baited it with raw chicken meat. The trap has to be concealed with branches and other stuff. The fox is a very shy and sly creature. Once we caught ours, Jim sent him to my son in laws freezer to have the hide tanned later. I'll post a picture when I get to my phone.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Here he is. But, I think we have another one.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Hi Logan. It's awful when predators get your birds. 
You need a safe pen that's made from Hardware cloth with the little squares. You need a real sturdy door. If there's any way in the wildlife will find it. You can trap a fox but then the next predator shows up.


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## Loganrt15 (May 24, 2016)

I have used a live trap before, but all I could catch is my neighbors cat.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Loganrt15 said:


> I have used a live trap before, but all I could catch is my neighbors cat.


I've bought foot traps from Fleming Outdoors before. They work.
http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/leg-and-body-traps.html


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I agree 100% with dawg on this. If you don't have secure digs for the birds, even if you get the fox, there will be another predator following right behind it. 

Some of us have old birds, seven years on up to 13 or 14 years old. The only way our birds made it to that age is because they had secure housing and runs.

And notice what nannypatty said? She got the one but believes another is out there?


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Yes to the above posts. It's an ongoing situation always. We have coyotes which will require the foot traps because they're too smart to go into a live trap. We did catch 2 oppossum the last couple of days. We always have ***** because we have fruit tree AND chickens. So we keep live traps and guns handy. We've talked about foot traps, so that's next on the list of "to do's"


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I use guns and live traps,too.Also been thinking about leg/foot traps.Took a trapping class a few years ago and plan on fur trapping this year,I practice in my yard LOL.Have gotten ***** and possums but still ain't too great at skinning them but it's getting better.I lost 33 juveniles to a dog that got in their pen.My mistake but it will not happen again.I had problems with neighbors' dogs.When I started killing them the neighbors' started keeping their dogs locked up.If a dog is loose the owners come here and ask me to not kill their dogs.I just laugh at them and get my trusty Mossberg.Works every time!If something gets your birds it will keep coming back.You gotta kill it.


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## Loganrt15 (May 24, 2016)

I was eating breakfast this morning and my dogs were going crazy. I went outside to check and the fox was right outside the coop just staring at me. I started running towards it to chase it off, but it just stood there and stared at me until I was about 30 feet from it.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Have you better protected your birds yet?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Loganrt15 said:


> I was eating breakfast this morning and my dogs were going crazy. I went outside to check and the fox was right outside the coop just staring at me. I started running towards it to chase it off, but it just stood there and stared at me until I was about 30 feet from it.


It was within shotgun range. He'll be back, have your gun ready.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That won't solve the problem he has, dawg. It's going to continue unless secure digs are built. Right now the predators know there is an easy meal available to them and they will keep coming.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

robin416 said:


> That won't solve the problem he has, dawg. It's going to continue unless secure digs are built. Right now the predators know there is an easy meal available to them and they will keep coming.


Let me get about 30 feet from a fox with my shotgun and see what happens, and his kin too. I have plenty of shells.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Quick draw McGraw!!


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I pick up a box or two of shells every time I go someplace that sells them.If something knows your chickens are there,they will be back as long as that easy food supply is there.If they have babies,they will come,too.Plus,other predators will smell the blood trail and follow it back to your coop so now you have coyotes too(hypothetically).After 16yrs of raising chickens I have learned my chickens are food/play things for other animals and if they found my chickens they will be back unless I kill them including the neighbors' dogs.I never killed anything until I got chickens and when I'm done killing the offending animal,I DO NOT feel guilty,I was protecting my flock.


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