Fox in the hen house? Whenever you think about predators of chickens, foxes have to be at the top of the list. As long as people have kept hens in enclosures, crafty Mr. Fox has been trying to get them. How do you know if you have a fox problem? Well, unlike other chicken predators, the fox tends to only leave behind feathers. The fox hunts 2 hours after sunset and 2 hours before sunrise. They are usually more active in the Spring when they are trying to get food for their litters. But, they will attack throughout the year. They tend to kill more than they can eat but unlike the weasel, they don’t waste the food. They store it away in caches for a later meal. They are able to dig below and climb above which make them an even more formidable foe. Usually, a fox will take as many hens as it can carry off.

So, what is to be done? Well, as with so many other predatory threats, it is crucial to make sure that your coop is secured. No holes, no possible access points from above or below. Once the coop is secure, the final measure of protection is a natural deterrent such as wolf urine. Wolf urine? Really? Yes, the fox is genetically programmed to fear the wolf. There do not have to be wolves in the area and the fox never has to have been exposed to a wolf to exhibit the fear response.

So, confirm fox threat, secure the coop, create a perimeter with wolf urine and rest easy.

Until I find more words. . .The PeeMan