Chicken bald back

[L Marques]

Absolutely gob smacked this morning when I saw a fox just staring at my chickens they are in an Eglu Go and they went bananas they are very stressed,anyway flipping fox was at it all morning kept coming back every 5 minutes I think at one point must have jumped on the run or something and the chickens were flapping all over the run and Angie was making a funny little noise I am worried,can they die of stress.

[paulad]

im so sorry to hear this - I have no experience of foxes (and hopefully never will) - sure someone will be along to answer u though xx

[Chickabee]

You need to get rid of that fox. A humane fox trap is good. You bate it with lots of raw meat, then take the fox far away. I'm not sure if chickens can die of stress, but it can't be good for them. My brother in laws dog looks like a fox. She freaks my girls out every time they see her. Because she is a collie mix she runs around the runs too. This has affected their laying in the past (and upset me).

[gavclojak]

Apparently they can die due to stress as they have small hearts, have you thought of electric fencing where he is getting in.....few zaps and he surely won't be back x

Edited November 9, 2013 by Guest

[libby22]

Awful shock when one turns up isn't it.

 

I had a fox move into the garden opposite to mine as soon as I had the girls. He would run down the garden - even with me there. I was so shocked the first time, but the second time I ran screaming and shouting at him, waving my arms about and generally looking like a mad woman Sure the neighbours loved the show

 

He came back twice and I did the same and boy did he run. He was skidding everywhere to get away from me. I also got one of those monster water guns and filled it with cold water and washing up liquid - let him have a good spray of that as I chased him too. Eventually, he just sat watching the girls from a shed roof a few gardens away and I didn't see him in the garden again - haven't seen him for months now, but I never let them out - he could be nearby and I just wouldn't be able to see him if he was hiding in the garden. I just got a bigger run so they could be protected at all times.

 

It is a difficult one - I really like the foxes but I love my girls so much I would be crushed if he got hold of them.

[Luvachicken]

We haven't seen our fox all Summer, but no doubt now it has started to get a bit chilly he will be back soon.

I too have run round the garden like a mad woman trying to frighten him away.

My girls never get to come out and are nice and secure, but he still frightens them when he does come.

 

As for dying from shock, I think it could happen - one of mine died after a big thunderstorm

[Olly]

Can I just point out that, even if you were able to catch it, a fox is a wild animal and moving it to another area would probably result in its death, and is likely to spread disease. The RSPCA consider it to be inhumane.

 

There are steps that you can take to deter the fox from visiting your garden, but your best defence is to ensure that your hens are securely housed. If a fox is destroyed, the likelihood is that another will take its place within six weeks or so.

 

For all those who say that they have never seen a fox in their garden, I recommend reading the sticky 'Fox attacks - what happened' and noting for how many people the first fox they come across is the one that takes their hens. Stress can affect their laying and they may injure themselves by flapping around the run, but some hens get used to it. This is a problem that's been around for as long as people have kept domestic fowl, and there is no easy answer.

[PoachedPlease]

L marques, Olly is right there are always foxes about, you just have to make sure your house is fox proof. Our local fox comes by every now and then, freaks the girls out but realises he still can't get to them and goes away for a while. Then either he or a new one has another look, feathers everywhere, but then vanishes again when he realises he can't get in. I think you have to sit it out,they will get bored!

 

Xx

[chuckmum6]

If possible see if you can turn the hose on him, they really don't like it and turn tail and run.

[L Marques]

Thank you for all your support.it was back last night and again this morning 3 Times my girls are cackling like mad as we speak I go out there and chase it off and I threw stuff at it I would like to give a good shower with hose but that's impossible he's way too fast.as for the girls laying eggs it's another matter as they are broody again anyway so there are no eggs at the moment."pekin bantams"they are in an Eglu Go and run,extended one,and I had them for over a year so hopefully it is fox proof,although I have read here somewhere that horrid fox has got in eglus.the funny thing is the chickens dare not move from this one spot it's like they are on the look out,they do not hide from the fox when it comes,I wish they would go in the Eglu when fox comes but they don't.want to go out because the children are bored but looks like we'll have to stay in again.

[merlina]

I've heard of people having good results with a movement sensor attached to a lawn sprinkler - designed to keep cats away I think, but apparently foxes aren't keen either!

(I'm sure your lawn doesn't need watering at the moment, but it sounds like mr fox does )

Another suggestion is to put a radio outside - apparently foxes aren't keen on any of our radio channels

 

When my hens were new they were very nervous of magpies so I covered their run with a tarp/groundsheet for a while. They couldn't see out, but if you have something that would work, perhaps that might be a way of hiding your hens and the fox for each other for little cost/effort on a temporary basis?

[PoachedPlease]

I found the fox more of a nuisance when I was using an eglu than when i use my wooden WIR. The elus must be more tempting as the chickens SEem to be more available, and it takes the fox jumping on it to prove to itself that it's not!

 

In the WIR the birds have more room to get away from the prying eyes at ground level.Still lots of feathers everywhere though.

 

Xx

[Chickabee]

I'm really sorry I mentioned catching the fox. I didn't realise it was so inhumane. I've never done it, I just know somebody that has. I feel I bit of a Wally now. I'm an animal lover wouldn't wish anything deliberate harm. Hope you manage to scare the fox away using suggested methods. Sonya

[Olly]

Don't be ! It's often suggested as being a solution that won't hurt the fox but will remove the problem; I didn't know so much about foxes until I got chickens, since when I've discovered a lot more!

[Siopllan]

If you know that foxes are active in the vicinity of your Eglu then make sure that the droppings tray is securely fixed in place by the spring clip.

I lost a Light Sussex hen this week to a fox which pulled out the tray and then managed to pull her out via the resulting small gap at the rear of the Eglu.

I have kept chickens in an Eglu for over 8 years and in the future will double check that the tray is suitably 'locked' in position.

[Chickabee]

Oh no, what a shame, so sorry to hear that. They are definitely very cunning. Will make sure mine is locked.

[MillyJude]

We got a fox watch box when we had a fox coming in the garden, (even bit one of our hens but i was there and chased him off) have to say it worked 100% and we never saw him again.

 

Its a high frequency noise with a motion sensor so the fox sets it off when he goes near.

 

Don't know what other peoples experiences are but it completely worked for us.

[redsunset]

So sorry to read about the poor Sussex hen! That is awful. While I am lucky to have no foxes, there is a very tiny Chance of mink/polecat. Did bring an abandoned baby one up 16 yrs ago, pre my chook keeping days and read recently of some one down in southern Scottish isles who lost 100 hens to one!! Am ashamed to say if I caught one near my girls now I would happily wring its neck...sorry