I hope I can piggyback on your message. A fox grabbed one of my free ranging chickens a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, he bit her up pretty badly. I brought the hen to the vet who spent two hours sewing her up. She looked like a patchwork quilt when he was done. Miraculously, believe it or not, she's doing great. I even have her back in with my other 5 chickens and they're not even pecking at her! She still has to go back to get her stitches removed. My question is this. What if the fox were rabid. Could she catch rabies and if yes would we catch rabies from eating her eggs? Since she's back in with all the other chickens I have to throw out all the eggs since I don't know which are hers. I can isolate her but it gets complicated and requires a lot of extra effort on my part. Our dogs seemed to have chased away the fox for now, but I expect him to return. We were thinking of getting a have-a-heart trap but I bet I'll catch everything but the fox in it. Good luck with your fox. I'd like to know how you deal with it.

Thanks,

the Baranskys

Personally, I would be inclined to shoot the fox or find someone who will. What if you trap it, then what are you going to do with it? They can be mean little varmints when trapped (even little ones). I would bet unless you took him a l-o-n-g way from your place he might find his way back to you anyway. And why dump that kind of problem on someone else? I'd be pretty ticked off if you let him off around my place. Just some thoughts.

We live on a 200+ acre farm with probably 60% of it being forested. So predators abound.....we have chickens, ducks and guineas. Have lost some of each to the critters over the past year....some even after we got our Great Pyrenees though he cut down on it a lot.

Finally, when we could get nothing in our Hav-a-hart trap and we lost a beautiful young crested duck we decided to get a second Pyr. After all as you said, Pam, the poor dog has to sleep SOME time! We got a mature Pyr female to go with our young male and so far so good.....just a few days after we brought Sassy home they came in with a fox body! 8) Though I, too, think they are beautiful I do NOT want them killing my babies.

Now, a word of caution, it seems that they carry Parvo. DH had found two little Heinz 57 puppies out on the country road that someone had thrown out and brought them to the house. We got them dewormed, and put Top Spot on them....the ticks fell off in no time and they seemed to be doing fabulously while we were trying to get them placed in a no kill shelter when the Pyrs brought in the fox. Within a couple of days the puppies came down with Parvo....horrible. They just wasted away (the vet said that the treatment while terribly expensive was not very effective). On the fourth day one of the puppies died and the second one was near death. My son put the survivor into a box to take her to be euthanized.....when I went outside she had crawled out of the box. Broke my heart....that was the END of the discussion of euthanasia. She survived and appears healthy as can be now....fat, slick and shiny. What a turn around!! But, the concerns about wildlife are many, predatation, rabies, parvo, etc. Luckily all our other dogs were well immunized so they are healthy (we have 2 Pyrs and 2 Min Pins)....and now a Heinz 57!

The coyotes run in packs here and the Pyrs are serious about detering their incursions. Few sights in the world are prettier than seeing those two big white dogs, with their plumelike tails curled over their backs, heading out shoulder to shoulder and quiet as mice when the coyotes are singing up a tune!!

Good luck with your fox, Pam and be sure to keep us posted as to your progress with it.

Judy

Sorry if I wasn't clear - we are planning to shoot the fox regardless. I just thought trapping it might make it a little easier (and safer) to shoot at close range, but we've never trapped anything before. Andy saw it and shot at it last night, but missed - it was in the horse pasture. He's finding it difficult to see and shoot at the same time in the dark so I see that he duct taped a flashlight to the .22 this morning.

I'm glad to hear about your 2nd Pyr Judy - we had a long discussion about it, and we'll be looking for one. With a new baby coming in Sept, however, I think we're going to wait until Spring for another dog. There are lots of Pyr rescues available in New England, from an agency that screens them for personality and compatibility with other pets, children, livestock, etc.

Pam

I just want to add that I know what you mean, Judy, about the sight of working Pyr's. Although I grew up with at least one Pyr in the house at any given time, I've never seen quite so beautiful a sight as a working group of Pyrs with a flock on sheep on a remote ranch in Wyoming!

Pam,
I was raised here in MO and have lived in a number of places, including Colorado, Florida, Guam and American Samoa. Over the years we have had a Cocker Spaniel, Pekinese, Poodles, Min Pins and a Border Collie. Had never been exposed to Great Pyrenees before my hubby retired and we moved back to my Granddad's farm. I wanted all the pretty chickens I saw and the guineas seemed a must with the tick population just unbearable. The ducks just happened on a visit to the hatchery!

But, when I started researching a possible solution to the loss of our babies the Pyrs came to the fore. Being a lifelong dog lover it was a solution that we decided to try.
Waiting for a puppy to grow up was not an option so I found a Pyr rescue (a three hour drive away....one way). The first one that we brought home was the nicest, most beautiful Pyr that you could imagine but shortly after we got him our young Border Collie was stolen. After that Dreyfuss was never the same...just got more and more protective of our yard. Finally, we decided that we had to return him the the rescue. 8*( Exchanged him for the young male, Moses...eighteen months old, that we have now. Moe has never seen a human that he doesn't drool over. 8) He works well but 24/7 is just not realistic for any animal.

I envy you the vision of the Pyrs working sheep! Would love to see that.

Good luck with your fox problem. Your fox is unbelievably brazen. We have not seen one around here in years....of course they have unlimited numbers of places to hide, too.

Would welcome followup emails about your life there! Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your baby....will it be the first? Just welcomed our sixth grandchild into the family....a gorgeous boy, named Liam.

Judy

Note to the Baranskys:

Regarding your hen's eggs... Everything I have read about rabies indicates that it is a disease of MAMMALS only. Therefore, even if the fox that attacked your chicken was rabid, I would not think either your chicken or your family eating its eggs would be at risk. Why not call your vet or your county extension office and ask, just to be sure. Or do a spot of on-line research.

I agree with Maggie, Birds do not get rabies and the vet you are bringing your chicken to can confirm that for you.

I hope your husband can take care of that fox pretty soon. If you live in the country, a nightscope for the rifle might be a handy Xmas present.

LOL, my dad (in Wyoming) would LOVE to give a nightscope to my husband as an Xmas present! Even though I grew up with guns, I hate having one in the house ... but we know that our single .22 is a necessity. It was mine as a teenager and Dad sent it out to us when we bought the farm.

Pam

Nightscope is the way to go. We have some in a semi wooded suburban area that bugs my dogs. We have a 17 lb Yorkie-??? (I know, its not a real Yorkie) who is ferocious. He almost caught it the other day. Can they kill a large cat? My wife is worried it will attack our real Yorkie who is all of 4 pounds- I know it could attack her easily.

I have read that a large fox will take cats. Ours, however, is pretty small and seems to co-exist with our cats.

Don't bank on it not taking a cat. Especially if there are gray foxes around. They climb nearly as well as cats.
I'm missing a cat now and have trouble with a little gray fox.

I asked an avid hunter friend for a fox sized trap and he wouldn't loan them to me because I have cats. Said the traps are pretty well known for killing cats. I'll have to put the cats in house arrest and beg him again.

Fox has even taken chickens within 6 feet of my back door.
I've got my birds behind chainlink reinforced poultry wire now. They only free range when I've landed for the day and I'm not going any place.

I did have a small elderly (ancient) dog taken by coyotes up here about 10 years ago. I still miss that dog.

hi! I know this thread is old, but it's the one I found this morning looking for help with a fox problem. I got some buff orps last fall, and then some red hens as well... lost several.. had no clue why... made it through the winter, but mostly left everyone inside the pen and/or shed. Got some more red hens this spring, and everyone was very happy to be roaming around my 10 acres. As of a few weeks ago, my chicken count was being reduced here and there, and then a few days ago, my son saw why. Yep... a fox. I'm down 10 chickens in just a little over a week. I put a live trap out... so far have caught two chickens and a coon (who still lives)... This fox does his work during the day, as all the chickens are in at night. Please tell me exactly what to do? Do people that hunt know how to shoot fox? I'm so distraught, I want the chickens to be free, and the fox is beautiful, but he's really taking advantage of us. I'm a single mom, older, and my youngest is 10 and has Down Syndrome. These chickens mean a lot to us, and also we have hoped to have a small egg business. Having chickens has been very good for me and my two youngest boys. Seeing the chickens enjoy their lives, eating bugs and grass... caring and feeding and watering the chickens... I love all animals, but the fox is serving no practical purpose here. Thank you if you are still reading! I guess I'm just looking for someone to okay my decision to have this fox put out of my misery? And for someone to tell me how. Thanks again!
In peace,
Elle Jaye

Elle Jaye,
the fox is not your only problem, the coons will kill your chickens as well. You could try fencing in a large area around your coop so the girls can still free range so to speak but just make sure it's high enough to keep them inside. Do you have a dog? that in combo w/fencing is helpful. We have both foxes and racoons living around us, so far the dogs and fencing have been working for us.

-Sheila

thanks, Sheila!
I just got back from taking the coon for a ride... took her to a nice wooded area and let her go. I knew she had taken some eggs, but didn't bother the hens. But for sure she won't bother them now, unless her GPS is above average! And I don't have a dog anymore... had the nicest dog in the world, but my crazy neighbor thought the dog was hers... another post for another day... so I gave him to a friend about two hours from here. So the fox remains the bane of my existence.
in peace
Elle Jaye

LOL, I'm still getting the emails from this thread! I can't believe that was 2 years ago ... right before our 2nd son was due. An update of sorts: I remember seeing the fox right sneak up right outside the windows of the house that autumn after the baby was born! I could never grab the gun in time, and the fox would spin away at my slightest move. My husband did shoot at it a few times at night, and we don't think he hit it, but the fox didn't come back during the spring of '06. Perhaps it just got sick.

Last summer, we broke down and fenced in the chickens, however. It was more about being able to walk around the yard without getting poop on the office shoes and about saving my garden veggies than about the predators.

Our Pyr's lameless has gotten much worse (she's 6 this spring), and after searching for a couple of years, we finally lucked upon another FREE PYR (!) living a few towns away in an apartment building. He is 2 years old and the most wonderful, patient, kind dog - he wanders a bit and has adopted the entire neighborhood, but is otherwise quite perfect. He immediately adopted the llamas, alpacas, and horses with absolutely no experience with large animals -- he would run out into the snow and entice the horses to play!

The dogs are barking at distant fireworks as I type :-)

Pam

Foxes have probably been terrorizing chickens for as long as chickens have been domesticated, but the struggle persists.

Last week, we lost a lovely buff orpington, barred rock, and indian runner duck to a fox. I've been busily making a tall fence and figuring out electric wire, while my birds mostly stay locked up in the barn. Something has been digging at the barn door every night, but thankfully has not figured out how to get inside yet.

No fun, this.

--Jonathan

The expression "more nerve than a fox in a hen house" shows us just how long-standing and common this problem is. We had a fox in the neighborhood. Next door lost quite a few chickens to it. He is a farmer and eats his animals, so he wasn't as particularly attentive to his chickens like we are. This is no insult, I understand the farm life. We keep our chickens as pets as well, so we are very diligent about locking them up at night, and running out during the day anytime we hear an alarm call. Our rooster is on constant guard and screams to us anytime the hawk flies over or the fox would prowl.

As a matter of fact, this roo has stood up to the fox, a racoon, and the hawk--not to mention us. He attacks me, but we keep him because is is an ideal watchdog. If I am careful, I can avoid him, if I forget, he kicks my legs. He is fearless, and our girls enjoy his protection. He even guarded some eggs from opossums and skunks.

Last summer, I saw the fox dead on the main drag closeby. We were sad (beautiful animal) and HAPPY at the same time. I haven't seen a fox since although I know there are probably some. The fox went after 3 of our girls that were out (the got out of their pen). One of them flew away: she flew away because she was still young and not heavy yet. One ran away: she is narrow in the back and her legs are side by side like a persons, so she can outrun an olympic sprinter! The third--my favorite (Zebe) was caught by the fox. She is a big girl, and fought back, and got loose of the fox. The kids her the fracas, ran outside and the second 2 came running up as if to say, "Help!" Zebe had been grabbed in the neck and was very quiet (not her usual outgoing self). I know because she likes us so much she lived by allowing us to care for her. I tube fed her, and it didn't stress her. We found the fly-away up the road. Everyone lived, but the fox took many of my neighbor's chickens.

I guess I am just telling stories here, but a good roo, good fencing (not practical for some, I know), a solid sleeping place, and (which I don't have) a good dog go a long way toward safety. I love wild life, and by what I have read, people here respect it. I was happy not to have the fox around anymore. If I caught it in a trap, I may ask the local zoo or a sanctuary if they wanted it. Is it possible to throw an animal like that off by baiting another area?

Robin