Foxes are the number one predator of our chickens in the U.K (unless of course you live on the Isle of Man where there are no foxes!)
Foxes usually rip the heads off chickens and will kill as many birds as they can in a frenzy if they manage to get into a run or coop. Foxes usually get into a run by digging and squeezing under a fence or by going over the top of a fence. Fences need to be buried at least 8 inches deep with the wire then curled flat outwards by another 8 inches. They can clear a 5 foot fence with ease. Remember foxes are more like cats than dogs and can jump!
Foxes can also tear rabbit wire fences with their teeth – it is best to keep fences taught and ideally use the I inch rectangular wire as this is thicker, stronger and they can’t get their teeth into it.
They will squeeze through the smallest of gaps… but don’t take my word for it, this short clip shows him in action!
Foxes usually work alone but towards the end of summer, sometimes the Vixen will hunt with her cubs to teach them.
When are your chickens at risk?
Foxes are generally nocturnal creatures, hunting under the cover of darkness; however when there is a large population of foxes or a shortage of food as is often found in the urban environment, they can start to become a pest during the daytime. Young cubs that are just finding their own food often stay out until mid morning, I frequently see them playing on the bales of hay in the fields near my home in late June and July and from time to time they will come into my garden.
The winter is obviously a dangerous time for chickens when food is short, however the time when most of us get caught out is June to August. Cubs are learning to hunt on their own, will often come early evening or morning when it is light and don’t have the fear to stay away from us.
If your chickens free range, a fox may make a dash, grab a chicken and run off. During these risky times, you may need a small secure run to house them when you are out but there are other options. Electrified poultry netting works wonders at keeping them safe in a large area and you may be able to speak to your local game keeper if you have a problem fox that is very determined.
Do you have any advice on Foxes? Please leave a comment below if you do.
Hey,
I have 5 birds in my garden in south east London and have seen three foxes in the garden together in the morning. I think the run i have is secure but i wonder if there is anything i can do to discourage foxes entering the garden in the first place? Also do you know if i could legally kill them, i was thinking shooting them with crossbow perhaps?
One did come into the garden when the birds were out of the run late afternoon but didn’t make a beeline for them before i went out and chased it off, am i maybe worrying too much?
Yes, you can kill foxes but it has to be done humanely and I don’t believe a crossbow would fall into this category.
If you do, others will move into their territory so you are best making your chickens secure. Electric fences are very good but not possible in every situation.
Hi we’re just about to buy 4 chickens in Kent. Behind our house is a railway track and a concentrated woodland area. Lots of rural animals visit our garden regularly-particularly foxes. Is it possible, to safely house the chickens in our garden, and if so, what are the best methods of protecting them.
You will need to build or buy a run or put up a fence and electrify it. Have a look at my page on chicken runs, that should help.
Hi, all my chickens were killed last night, im presuming by a fox, all but one had their heads chewed off. The one that didnt had been taken away and buried… i followed a trail of feathers to find her in a very scrubby bush area semi buried beside a log. Why would the fox have done this?? I live in south west Western Australia in a town but in the country.
Sounds exactly like a fox. They take the heads off to kill and bury them and come back later for them unless they are disturbed.
Hi,
We lost a chicken yesterday from our garden – she just vanished! This happened a few months ago to another of our girls. Both have happened while I have been at home and during the day (between school runs).
They were free ranging completely the first time and yesterday were in a mesh fenced area (not electric) so the first may have just wandered off but not yesterday’s. None of the other chickens seem injured in any way. They are currently in an Eglu ‘cage’ so as safe as they’ll ever be. We have been keeping chickens in the garden for 3 years.
The garden is large and backs onto a railway line. There are foxes in the area (edge of town) and I have seen one in the garden in the past. The boys and my husband are encouraged to wee along the back hedge if they are in the garden 😉 as we’ve heard that can be a deterrent to foxes.
We are interested to know if this is likely to be a fox or something else which is wahy I’ve tried to give as much information as possible.
Thanks
Sounds like a snatch and go most probably by Mr. Fox.
They will dash in, grab a bird (leaving a few feathers floating around) and run off. If you search, you will probably find a bigger clump of feathers further afield where he felt safe enough to stop and kill the chicken.
i really wont to have about 4-5 chickens but were i live its just open feilds,would they be ok if i look them up in the coop of a night or can the fox get in thought the wood ?
If the coop is reasonable, the fox shouldn’t be able to get in. Remember foxes will also visit during the daytime, especially in the summer when feeding young.
I have an extremely high powered spring-loaded air rifle which is literally JUST within the legal boundaries. The cocky fox is sitting atop of my coop constantly and when I had my ladies out for an exercise earlier today they began to panic before I even knew what was going on, so I ushered them all inside despite them having a good shout at me! As they do lol. But the fox was brazen, he ran straight past me at the closed coop (LUCKILY) so he is not afraid to attack while I’m standing there. The fox is going to die quite frankly, I’d rather slay it than it kill my chickens, I’ve grown quite attached to these hens since I’ve had them. The question I must ask, I live in Suburban Essex, is it legal to kill foxes here? Also, how would I dispose of it’s body correctly? I’m aware that it’s probably disease ridden. My hens are safe as they can be, but I don’t want it scaring them anymore and plus today was a close call, if I wasn’t watching them, they’d be dead. It’s not going to happen again, the fox’s bold attitude will be it’s own undoing in this case haha, stupid son of a (-word-removed-).
It is not illegal to kill foxes anywhere as far as I know, but you must do it humanely – a 12 gauge shotgun, a .223 / .243 or .22 Magnum would be suitable weapons, all of which require a shotgun or fire arms license.
An air rifle simply doesn’t have sufficient power and will only cause the animal pain. He is still likely to come back.
For such a location, I would consider a pest control company who will possibly use a fox trap (a large cage) and then shoot the fox inside quickly in the back of the head.