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13 Deterrents: How to Catch a Fox that is Eating my Chickens? (2024)

How to Catch a Fox that is Eating my Chickens?

Generally, to catch a fox you can use a Live Box trap, or Spring Trap to snare Him. If legal and permitted can hunt him. Another way to catch a fox is using baits and lures. Foxes are very cunning, so you need to know the exact way how they behave in order for your trap or snare set-up to be effective.

How to Catch a Fox that is Eating my Chickens?

Foxes are cunning creatures. They have adapted to our encroachment into their natural habitats and learned how to take advantage of the easy food sources that come with living near humans.

These clever animals have been known to prey on domesticated pets, as well as wild birds and other small wildlife. In this article, we will discuss some ways to catch a fox if it has been visiting your chicken coop or poultry yard.

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Do Foxes eat Chickens or just kill Them?

Foxes will eat chickens if they have the opportunity, but it is more common for them to kill chickens than eat them. A fox will usually eat only one or two birds at a time, so they are not typically a major threat to poultry flocks. However, if a fox becomes accustomed to eating your chickens, it can do serious damage in a short period of time. How to Catch a Fox that is Eating My Chickens?

See Amazons Educational Resources on Poultry Predators

How to Trap a Fox Fast?

  1. To Capture a fox quickly, you can use a Live Box trap. This type of trap uses a baited box that the fox will enter in order to get to the food. Once inside, the door closes behind it and the animal is trapped.
  2. Another way to catch a fox quickly is with a Spring Trap. These traps use a powered spring mechanism to snap shut on the animal’s neck or body. They are very effective, but can also be dangerous to use if you are not familiar with their operation.
  3. If legal and permitted in your area, you can also hunt foxes using firearms or archery equipment. In most cases, however, it is best to try to trap them first, as hunting takes much longer than trapping.

Check Out Amazon’s Resources to Help You Protect Your Chickens

How Do Foxes kill chickens?

Once a fox gets into a pen or coop, it will usually kill the chickens by biting their heads off. They may also crush the birds’ skulls with their jaws or simply tear them apart.

The fox will continue to eat the chickens until it has had its fill. At this point, you may be able to get close enough to shoot or trap the animal.

Another way foxes kill chickens is by prey drive. Once a fox learns how easy it can be for them to take down small poultry birds, they will continue trying even if they are full from a previous meal. This can lead to large numbers of chickens being killed in a short period of time.

In order to protect your flock, it is important to know how the foxes in your area behave and take measures to prevent them from getting into the coop or pen.

Will a Fox return to a Kill?

A Fox that has attacked a hen house and killed chickens may or may not return to that particular spot. If it is a food source that is readily available, the fox will likely continue coming back. However, if you take measures to make the area less attractive to the animal – such as removing any dead animals or covering the blood with dirt and straw – the fox will move on to another location.

It is important to remember that foxes are very cunning and will often try different methods until they find one that works. You may have to try several different techniques before you find one that is successful in keeping them away from your chickens.

Most animals have a route or path they routinely follow each day. If you can identify this path, you can set traps or snares along it to catch the fox.

A fox will roam approximately one mile in a day from its den. If you can identify the areas where it is feeding, you can set traps or snares closer to those locations.

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How to tell What Killed My Chickens?

Foxes and other predators will kill chickens in a number of different ways.

If there is blood near the area where you found your poultry, it may have been killed by a fox or another predator. The animal usually kills its prey by biting its necks and crushing them with its jaws. This leaves puncture wounds that look like small holes.

Another way to tell if a fox killed your chickens is by their tracks. Foxes have very distinctive tracks that are easy to identify. They will usually walk in a straight line and the prints will be close together.

If you catch a fox or other predator in the act of killing your chickens, it can also be used as evidence in court. Many states have laws that protect poultry from being killed by predators.

Today Game night cameras are very affordable. you can place one near your coup to view what visitors are coming each night. They are motion-activated so you will get pictures of the visitor.

Can Foxes Smell Chickens?

Foxes have a very keen sense of smell and can detect food from long distances. They are also very persistent once they have found a source of free food, which makes them difficult to deter or control with any kind of repellent.

If you suspect that the foxes in your area may be able to smell chickens, then it is best not to leave any trace of their presence near the coop or pen. This includes food, water, droppings, and feathers.

You can also try to mask the smell of the chickens with a strong-smelling repellent such as ammonia or mothballs. However, these chemicals can be harmful to both humans and animals, so use them with caution.

Another way to deter foxes is by using electric fencing. The fence will deliver a shock to the animal when it touches it, which will discourage them from crossing into the protected area.

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What are Fox Deterrents for Chickens?

Fox deterrents for Chickens include:

  • Wire fence – small enough fox can not squeeze through
  • Fence buried so cannot be dug under
  • Fence 6′ High so the fox cannot run over
  • Secure Chicken Coop
  • Motion Lighting
  • Motion water sprinklers
  • Guard animals such
  • as llamas, donkeys, and German Shepherds.
  • Barking Dogs at night.
  • Chicken tractors – move daily to prevent foxes from finding them on any regular basis.
  • Close all doors and windows in the chicken coop at night – use a lock if needed.
  • Live Traps
  • Spring Traps
  • Hunting

Can I Shoot a Fox that is Killing My Chickens?

Each State is Different – Check with Your Department of Natural Resources – Speak to your Game Warden he will have the latest info

It is not uncommon for foxes to prey on chickens, and many farmers take measures to protect their flock from these predators. In some cases, however, foxes can become persistent pests, killing multiple chickens over the course of several nights. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be wondering if you are allowed to shoot the fox.

The answer depends on a number of factors, including your state’s laws and the type of gun you plan to use. It is always best to check with your local wildlife authorities before taking any action. In most cases, however, shooting a fox is only legal if it is done in self-defense or in defense of property.

For example, if a fox is attacking one of your chickens, you would be within your rights to shoot it in order to protect the animal. However, simply shooting a fox that is lurking near your property is not likely to be considered justified. In general, it is best to take non-lethal measures to deter foxes from preying on your chickens, if possible.

Final Thoughts – How to Catch a Fox that is Eating my Chickens?

In summary, there are a number of different ways to catch a fox that is eating your chickens. You can try using traps, snares, or repellents. If all else fails, you can try hunting the animal.

It is important to remember that foxes are very cunning and will often try different methods until they find one that works. You may have to try several different techniques before you find one that is successful in keeping them away from your chickens.

Try different methods until they find one that works. You may have to try several different techniques before you find one that is successful

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Author

  • Gregory Gaines

    Darlene and I have Lived on a 500 Acre farm, we lived there raising our 3 children and 6 Foster Children. On That farm we and our Children Raised Rabbits Chickens Hogs Cattle Goats

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