Fox visited our Chickens
Day before yesterday the chickens made a racket. They've frequently made rackets in the past and we rushed out to see what was wrong, only to find that they were quibbling over a bug or a rooster was after a hen. So when we heard the racket We were unimpressed. My husband meandered out; I stayed in my comfy chair.
He quickly returned, exclaiming, "There's a cat after the chickens!"
I jumped up and ran to the door and saw a ginger colored cat with a fluffy persian tail slinking amongst the chickens. Well that just ticked me right off. I took off running toward the chickens in my bedroom slippers. I was gonna kick some cat butt.
The cat was fast and fluid. The cat was a fox!
I herded the upset chickens into the coop while my husband went looking for the fox. He never found the fox though he conducted a long and thorough search. The photograph is a trifling sample of all the feathers that were on the ground.
We thought we'd lost a chicken or two, for sure, yet they are all present and accounted for. I've looked and looked at the chickens but can't find any with raggedy tails or bald botoms.
We were really lucky. Fortunately for us this was a very young fox -- not too strong and fairly inexperienced. We're glancing outside at least hourly now, sometimes more often.
Labels: chickens
posted by Leslie @ 12:38 PM
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I can definately relate. I was daydreaming out the window one evening. When I glanced up to see a large coyote trotting up the lane towards the chicken. Scrambled for the gun but couldn't figure it out fast enough. Yelled at the coyote, which ran. Then woke up hubby. As he was taking in the situation and asking where is it? Another one ran in back of the chicken yard. He fired off several shots at it. He missed and thankfully we haven't seen them again...yet. But every few minutes I kept looking out the window. Lisa
Hi Leslie! Got any plans to set a trap? I'm so thankful nothing has come after our birds. One night Dwayne closed up the coop but forgot to shut their little sliding door. I freaked out the next morning when I saw it, but they were all fine. Phew! With all the woodlands around here you'd think there would be all manner of predators. Maybe it will be different in the winter when food is more scarce.
I'd like to see a photo of your house slippers, actually. For some reason, that part of the tale sticks in my head.
Crazy like a fox.
My chocolate lab and I used to watch the local fox sneak up on my yard birds until he got real close and then we'd charge off the porch like banshees.
Miss that dog.
Foxes, predators after your chickens, happens to us quite often.
here is a recipe to use as a deterrent:
1 pantyhose
1 visit to the barber
Fill pantyhose with human hair ( if you visit the barber they should give you some). make a knot at the top and hang it over the fences that border your property or as close to the chickens as you can, the gate for example, or wherever you think is in the fox' path. Human hair is awful to foxes ...worth a go anyhow if your chickens are precious.
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