Any non-lethal fox deterrents that WORK?

[Krugerrand]

Foxes are disease vectors, so that is another reason the dept wildlife/rehabbers don’t want to relocate. Foxes are not endangered either, so killing then isn’t causing population/genetics issues. However, in your quest to allow them to coexist, your best bet may be electric fencing strong enough to really zap any foxes good and distinctly that they teach their young to avoid the chicken area. There is a BYC poster in Fl, who had many losses and issues with coyotes and foxes. They moved to large outdoor pens, electric fences, overhead netting, and concrete under the gates (easiest dig point). They also have cameras. They have posted quite a few night photos of these predators no longer coming near the pens, and with young sometimes too-and the young don’t investigate the pens bc they’ve been taught not to mess with those painful (zap!) chickens. Maybe they've recently posted in predator forum under the game cam thread bc I’ve seen their pics there.

Good luck.

That's @cmom . Lots of pics here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/10893066/?t=post&c[thread]=438535&c[users]=cmom&o=relevance

 

[Ridgerunner]

Even killing a predator is not a permanent solution. I've trapped and killed enough raccoons, possums, skunks, rats, and such to know that if you have one in the area there are more. Babies are being born and going out to find their own hunting grounds. The same is true for foxes and coyotes, minks and weasels. Permanently removing one that is hunting your land will reduce the immediate predator pressure on your property but that does not stop another one from coming back tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. What works best are suitable barriers.

Foxes are smart. They can get through some amazingly small openings. Gates and connections often have vulnerable gaps. Foxes can squeeze under a lot of fences even without digging and they ae excellent diggers. They can jump really well. If you google "fox climbing fence" you may be amazed at what videos turn up. Some people can build pens that keep foxes out but you have to be thorough and meticulous.

Electric fences and electric netting are two different things. If they are installed correctly and properly maintained they are very efficient at keeping land based predators out. Critters like foxes and coyotes can jump high enough to jump over some fences but they don't. They tend to check the fence out first with their tongue or nose. That's why some people bait the netting or fence with peanut butter or such to get them to lick it and get zapped but I never found that necessary. Once they are zapped they don't want to face it again.

You still have to maintain an electric fence or electric netting, you don't want grass or weeds to grow up into them and short them out. I've had leaves and fresh cut grass wash up against the netting and short it out until I cleaned it away. But I found my electric netting to be extremely effective against coyotes, foxes, raccoons, possum, skunks, and my worst predator, a dog. There is something satisfying seeing a stray dog sniff at the fence, yelp, and race away unhurt but never to return.

 

[Acre4Me]

That's @cmom . Lots of pics here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/10893066/?t=post&c[thread]=438535&c[users]=cmom&o=relevance

Thanks! I couldn’t remember user name!

 

[Perris]

So my question is has anyone had any successful non-lethal fox deterrents they’ve used to protect their flock?

I have a flock free-ranging dawn-dusk with foxes all around, and haven't lost anyone - even a chick - to a fox since 2020, while a neighbour with a fenced area loses some every year. The difference in our arrangements? I have 4 roos with 15 hens, raised within the flock and who work together to protect the hens. And mobile coops that I move frequently (foxes are suspicious of change). Here's a photo of them in close formation when they sensed danger, snapped through a window so apologies for the quality.

(and the metal pole with fluttering fabric atop is a hawk deterrent, again easy to move around and change things up)

 

[McChooky]

Hi friends. We have a family of foxes that moved in to our area a few years ago — right at the corner of our & two neighbors’ farms. I feel the foxes have as much right to be here as we do, but they’ve taken turns decimating each of our flocks over the years. We’ve researched rehoming them, but got a large thumbs down from all the wildlife rehabbers in the area. No one will remove/relocate them as it’s essentially a death sentence. I won’t be privy to poisoning or otherwise violently killing animals just trying to exist on this planet where we’ve taken so much of their space away from them already. I tell you all this because I’m not interested in suggestions to kill the foxes.

But I’m also emotionally exhausted from losing chickens.

So my question is has anyone had any successful non-lethal fox deterrents they’ve used to protect their flock?

My chickens have a predator & mostly weather proof run inside a fenced area. They don’t freerange in our larger fields unless we’re outside. I will let them into the fenced yard if we’re home (though they’re still at risk of predator bird attack). I don’t want to keep them locked in the run all year. We’re in an area with severe winters so they always spend half the year in the run.

Thank you for your help!

Find the den near your property and spread urine around.They'll move the kits to a safer food source .They can have multiple dens in a 10 mile area.

 

[McChooky]

Even killing a predator is not a permanent solution. I've trapped and killed enough raccoons, possums, skunks, rats, and such to know that if you have one in the area there are more. Babies are being born and going out to find their own hunting grounds. The same is true for foxes and coyotes, minks and weasels. Permanently removing one that is hunting your land will reduce the immediate predator pressure on your property but that does not stop another one from coming back tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. What works best are suitable barriers.

Foxes are smart. They can get through some amazingly small openings. Gates and connections often have vulnerable gaps. Foxes can squeeze under a lot of fences even without digging and they ae excellent diggers. They can jump really well. If you google "fox climbing fence" you may be amazed at what videos turn up. Some people can build pens that keep foxes out but you have to be thorough and meticulous.

Electric fences and electric netting are two different things. If they are installed correctly and properly maintained they are very efficient at keeping land based predators out. Critters like foxes and coyotes can jump high enough to jump over some fences but they don't. They tend to check the fence out first with their tongue or nose. That's why some people bait the netting or fence with peanut butter or such to get them to lick it and get zapped but I never found that necessary. Once they are zapped they don't want to face it again.

You still have to maintain an electric fence or electric netting, you don't want grass or weeds to grow up into them and short them out. I've had leaves and fresh cut grass wash up against the netting and short it out until I cleaned it away. But I found my electric netting to be extremely effective against coyotes, foxes, raccoons, possum, skunks, and my worst predator, a dog. There is something satisfying seeing a stray dog sniff at the fence, yelp, and race away unhurt but never to return.

"What works best are suitable barriers."

X2!

 

[Debbie292d]

Any non electric fence options?

1/2" hardware cloth is pretty much impenetrable by much other than perhaps bear. It's pricey to put around an entire pen, but it makes them safe.

 

[McChooky]

https://thefactfile.org/facts-about-rats/

18. A rat can produce half a billion babies within three years.
37. Female rats can mate up to 500 times within a period of six hours
43. On average, there are between five and ten baby rats in a litter. Although it is unusual, there can be up to twenty-two babies in a litter.
75. Rats can start breeding when they are only five weeks old. A female rat’s fertility period occurs around every three weeks. When a female rat becomes pregnant, the pregnancy only lasts around three weeks

 

[Krugerrand]

https://thefactfile.org/facts-about-rats/

18. A rat can produce half a billion babies within three years.
37. Female rats can mate up to 500 times within a period of six hours
43. On average, there are between five and ten baby rats in a litter. Although it is unusual, there can be up to twenty-two babies in a litter.
75. Rats can start breeding when they are only five weeks old. A female rat’s fertility period occurs around every three weeks. When a female rat becomes pregnant, the pregnancy only lasts around three weeks

I with I could un-read that.

 

[McChooky]

Fortunately rats only live about a year in the wild so the key is to keep them so hungry they'll eat their own babies so the colony will die out