Foxes

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!)

Fox-looking-for-chickens

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.

157 Comments

  1. We have been fattening a cockeral up for eating and this morning it was killed by a fox. It just ate its head and didnt damage the body. Can we still eat the meat as it seems a shame to waste it?

  2. Poor old cock was doomed either way! Foxes carry far less bacteria in their mouth than we do and the risk would be no more than accepting a bird from a gun dog.

    • The big difference though is a gun dog is soft mouthed and should not break the skin of the bird it is carrying. A fox breaks the skin when it kills of course.

  3. The video mentions that in the wild chickens would escape to the trees, is it possible with domestic chickens to provide a tree/high perch or similar for them to flee to should a fox manage to get in?

    • Domestic chickens have been altered over many years of breeding and most cannot fly half as well as their ancestors, the jungle fowl.

      Jungle Fowl will have been ‘selected’ naturally to be good at escaping predators… If they weren’t good at this, they would. Have been eaten and wouldn’t have had the chance to pass on their genes to the next generation.

  4. Does anyone know how you can check if your chicken is a female or a male? We get a whole bunch of baby chicks recently and we were told they were all hens but I can kinda of tell the one is trying to make a rooster noise.

    • Normally it is very hard to tell until they are maturing when you’ll notice the cockerels combs and wattles maturing faster and their tail feathers growing. Eventually they start to crow of course. There are some auto sexing breeds that hatch with slightly different markings or colours and these can be sexed as day old chicks. An example would be the Cream Legbar.

  5. We came home today to find two of our three free range chickens gone. Evidence shows one has been had by a fox. I’m hoping the other is in a tree as has happened before when they have not returned to the coop at dusk. However, I’m really worried about my remaining hen. I’ve put her in the coop safely locked up but she’s very stressed and is hardly reacting. How do I comfort her; when can I introduce new hens or, might she die too? The whole family is so upset as they are gorgeous girls and they’re our first three .

    • I’m very sorry to hear this. The priority is to ensure the run and house are secure because foxes will keep returning until they get all of the hens.

      You can add ACV to her water to help with the stress, but other than this, checking that she is eating and drinking is about all you can do.

      She should recover, after a few weeks once she has got over the stress, you can look towards introducing a couple of new hens. Chickens are social creatures and best kept in small groups, a hen on her own won’t be very happy in the long term.

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