Foxes And Chickens....

[MadMen]

My parents lost two of their chickens on the weekend, to Mr Fox.
They have a large section of the garden, which is fenced off and surrounded with chicken wire, but he somehow managed to get in - in broad daylight!
They came home to discover the rest of the chickens throwing themselves up against the fence and gate (I assume trying to get out), a chicken writhing around on the floor in agony and another one near to the back fence where Mr Fox had obviously got in, headless :-(
My poor Mum was really upset, understandably, and is now really worried he'll return for the others.
They've secured the fence even further and are keeping them in the smaller run for the time being. The remaining chickens are really spooked and won't let my parents go near them - which they need to do as a few of them have wounds.

My question is, would the fox now keep returning until he's 'got them all'?

[FredPuli43]

Shoot foxes? Do you mind? Have you never heard the expression "He's shot our fox" ?

[MadMen]

I thought you were going to help me start a petition to kill the foxes, Fred?! :-/

[Quizmonster]

Fred's right; the only reason people lose chickens to foxes is because the former are just not well enough protected...ie the fox somehow manages to access them.
He is also correct when he rubbishes the notion that they glory in slaughter for its own sake. If chicken-owners did not appear and start creating a hoo-hah, they would return and remove all of their kill for later use. After all, they can hardly be expected to carry off a couple of dozen of them at once, can they?

[andy-hughes]

I am delighted to see that - for once - the hoary old notion of foxes being some sort of sadtistic killers has been deubunked early.

As advised, a fox will kill any and all prey, and given the chance, he will take one bird home and bury the rest for another day.

A chicken coop with dead birds in it is one where the fox has been disturbed before he could take all his prey out and away.

Animals - including foxes, don't do sadism - just us humans.

Tally ho!

[FredPuli43]

Sorry, MM! Just think that people who do shoot foxes should know the rules, don'tchya know. I don't approve of killing foxes, however it is done. I don't keep chickens, so I haven't got angry about a fox behaving as nature intended. The major egg-producing firms don't lose chickens to foxes. If others had security adequate to the purpose, they wouldn't either. Meanwhile, the foxes on this farm can get on with reducing the rabbits and other vermin, instead of being labelled vermin themselves.

[chaptazbru]

No, sorry paddywak, like I said in my first post, we do far worse to chickens and yet expect better of animals. Annoyed I have to repeat myself !

[chaptazbru]

2sp Foxes are NOT vermin in my opinion, but I think a lot of humans are !

[society]

Maddy, did you volunteer as yet to keep watch so you could see where the fox comes in?

[2sp_]

Chap, have you ever seen a chicken or lamb that's been attacked by a fox? Have you ever had to put an animal out of it's misery because of an attack?

As I've said before, I'm all in favour of deterring foxes but there does come a point where shooting a problem fox is the answer.

[MadMen]

Soc, no. They had their neighbour (who also has chickens) keep an eye out for them.
They still don't know where he came through, but they've secured the area using electric fencing, and have also put something up on next doors fence (with their permission) so he can't walk along it.
Thankfully there have been no further incidents, but the ladies are still really spooked and not themselves.
I wonder how long it will take for them to get back to 'normal'...?