I am so mad! Mad at myself and mad at the darn fox that has been picking off my chickens. I have had our LGD up near the house while my husband has been away (makes me feel a bit safer) and over the last several weeks something had killed about 10 black copper marans, 3 bourbon red hens and all my frizzles. I started tying Ayca, our LGD, out at night by the chickens when I got back in town and didn't lose anyone. Well the last couple of nights I have worked late and been so exhausted I forgot. Went to feed today and they got my bourbon red tom, and my last BCM rooster and hen. I am so flippin mad! :veryangry: I have someone that has been saying they would come trap and kill it so I called them again today to see when. If they won't come out soon I really need to do something about this. I am mad at myself for not puting the dog out the last couple of nights too...Now I am down to a handful of laying hens and a bunch of young pullets. This has not been a good week! So...what is the best way to trap a fox? Do you use the live traps? What kind of bait? I have found their holes...
Live trap works best, touch and fiddle with it as little as possible to decrease scent, but im sure it won't matter either way. Wet cat food seems to work well. Not sure what you should do with it after you catch it, but be careful, they could be scared and aggressive and could bite or otherwise hurt you. Thick gloves suggested. Always let the professionals do it if you can.
very beginning of the summer we lost a lot of our chickens. We arent sure it was a fox, but we have seen fox back in the woods when hunting back there. There used to be a man who came and set traps, and although I never asked him, I'm sure they were ones that killed them. I have seen live traps big enough for a wolf! So I'm sure a live trap would work. I've heard ground beef and hot dogs will actually work and I've read that "Skunk essence" will to. Although I'm not sure what that is or where to get it. good luck! I know how frustrating it is to lose your chickens!
Do you have a local animal control? I know here they will loan you traps to catch animals like that so you could give it a try. Good luck
I am so sorry for your losses. We do not have to deal with fox thank goodness. Just 'posssums and skunks. I hope you can get this varmint caught and disposed of. I had four guinea keats sacrifice themselves to the dogs next door. Like you, I feel guilty as I thought their cage was secure but it was not. We managed to save 3 of them. (My daughter's name is Carissa.)
A neighbors cat got one of our chicks once. We know it was a cat because it killed the chick but didn't eat it. So annoying
IMO i'd leave the fox and just let your dogs out at night to patrol. the fox is just doing what foxes do, which is what every predator does. i've had mountain lions and coyotes kill my stock, i didnt go after them, i guarded my stock better.
I have good success with marshmellows in the live traps......everything seems to like them! IDK your philosophy when it comes to such animals but around here if comes in the barnyard or the livestock pens it dies. I am top predator here and will protect my animals! I only use the live traps so that if one of my curious animals gets in it I can let them out but all others are taken out back and become coyote bait!!
Marshmellows?? LOL Would have never thought Well I got a hold of the guy that was going to do it and he can make it out tomorrow so hopefully it will be gone. The problem I have is my chickens free range. I did have a run in shed that I used as their roosting area but we had to move it and they have decided they don't like their new location so they roost near my tack/feed room. I do have smaller coops for my young chicks but none yet for the bigger chickens/turkeys. My husband was going to build a coop before he left to go overseas but he didn't have too much notice and ran out of time. He thought he was going to be gone a month but it has turned into 4 now! It has to be a pretty big fox I would think to drag off my full grown tom!
We had a mystery chicken eater last year-we lost a TON of chickens to it. We tried the live trap and only were able to catch raccoons which were not the culprits. Needless to say-they were banished, BUT, I would think leaving your LGD out at night would probably help. The fox will have to move on because I would think your girl would have a fox coming around. Good luck! Foxes are what they say-'sly as a fox'-and HARD to catch. :hair:
I am sorry for your losses... I would get traps out there...then have animal control take them away....and relocate them...
