Hi,
Apologies, as the question may have been answered a thousand times, but couldn't find anything specific to daytime attacks.
After 6 years of raising a few chickens and ducks, the last of the first generation (Furiosa) was sadly assassinated in the garden in broad daylight by a fox. I saw it jump the fence into the garden and I went out the window to try to stop it, but unfortunately it got to her before I could sprint at it to scare it off. I did chase it down and long enough to scare it enough (I assume!) to drop her, but of course she was gone as soon as the fox got hold of her. I brought her remains back home and she did get the viking pyre funeral a chicken of her magnitude deserved.
That's the second chicken we've had taken in broad daylight in the last couple of months after years of not having any sign of foxes (we tend to get badgers here rather than foxes), and I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for daytime protection for free ranging chickens (they're safe in a box coop at night - I'll build a covered run if it comes to it, but I'm loathed to limit their freedom to roam around the garden)?
I know there are strobe light options but I doubt these would be effective in the daylight, and assume the ultrasonic ones would just be set off endlessly by the chickens & ducks themselves during the day (and my cats). Has anyone had any positive experience with the various chemical deterrants? I have invested in an air horn in case the same situation occurs again and hopefully it would frighten the fox enough to back off, but obviously that relies on my noticing ahead of time.
Similarly (specific to the UK as there as tight regional rules on what's allowed to be used), has anyone had any experience with trapping a fox?
Many thanks in advance as always!
Apologies, as the question may have been answered a thousand times, but couldn't find anything specific to daytime attacks.
After 6 years of raising a few chickens and ducks, the last of the first generation (Furiosa) was sadly assassinated in the garden in broad daylight by a fox. I saw it jump the fence into the garden and I went out the window to try to stop it, but unfortunately it got to her before I could sprint at it to scare it off. I did chase it down and long enough to scare it enough (I assume!) to drop her, but of course she was gone as soon as the fox got hold of her. I brought her remains back home and she did get the viking pyre funeral a chicken of her magnitude deserved.
That's the second chicken we've had taken in broad daylight in the last couple of months after years of not having any sign of foxes (we tend to get badgers here rather than foxes), and I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for daytime protection for free ranging chickens (they're safe in a box coop at night - I'll build a covered run if it comes to it, but I'm loathed to limit their freedom to roam around the garden)?
I know there are strobe light options but I doubt these would be effective in the daylight, and assume the ultrasonic ones would just be set off endlessly by the chickens & ducks themselves during the day (and my cats). Has anyone had any positive experience with the various chemical deterrants? I have invested in an air horn in case the same situation occurs again and hopefully it would frighten the fox enough to back off, but obviously that relies on my noticing ahead of time.
Similarly (specific to the UK as there as tight regional rules on what's allowed to be used), has anyone had any experience with trapping a fox?
Many thanks in advance as always!