[ANHBUC]

Sorry you are having such a bad time Casey.  The only thing I can suggest is to get some cheap dog food and put it out for them but well away from your property.  I am sure they will track it down by the smell or you could leave a trail of it from where you have seen the fox leading it away from your chickens.  It might give you time to sort your housing out while the fox is having its fill elsewhere.  I know it is not a long term solution but it is all I can think of.   

[shetan]

i'm so sorry for your loss casey. you might find it keeps returning because it thinks its found a ready stash of food and you are now its local take away.

this might be a totally stupid idea but could you remove the chooks from the coop for a couple of nights and leave it open? the fox will come and see for itself that there isn't a food source there any more and hopefully move on to hunt in a different patch, giving you time to repair the damage and re-fox proof your set up.

[LittleRedHen]

What a nightmare!  That's the one we all dread and pray never comes!  Time heals, and perhaps this spring you may change your mind about getting some new hens. 

[Mickle]

To all concerned

Poultry and all stock once in your care deserve your protection and care, and killing vermin that predate on that stock is part of the contract that you signed up to once you took on their welfare.

Learn to operate a SNARE and a Shovel

Your Stock will be much happier

[joyfull]

This is what the British Association for Shooting and Conservation have to say about snares:-

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/codes-of-practice/fox-snaring.cfm

I echo their comment if in any doubt then don't.

[animal mad]

It is really hard, we have just lost 6 ducks last week, not sure if it was a fox as it dug into the house overnight. I have made a few changes so fingers crossed the others will be safe. On the look out for some more but it seems to be really hard down here to find.

[joyfull]

are you near waterways? It could be mink, i had a couple of mink attacks last year and found the bodies hidden in the wheat field for later 

[Tony H]

Sorry to hear about that cassy, i must say though personaly i dont agree with snares i think its a cruel death, Its a hard one realy the need to protect your chucks 

[Mickle]

Sorry to hear about that cassy, i must say though personaly i dont agree with snares i think its a cruel death, Its a hard one realy the need to protect your chucks 

Tony
Fox snares come with a stop fitted and it will be alive and ok providing it dos'nt hang itself, to avoid that scenario make sure you set in an area where it can't throw itself over a fence/branch whilst attached.
Staple the snare to a "running log" allowing the fox to take it to cover where it will hide away until you arrive, a thumb stick run down the wire to the Fox while holding the log end secure will put you in complete control,
You can then either

A
Grab it by the scruff of the neck read it the riot act before using the shovel
or
B
Do the above then put it in a bag and take it to the nearest Gamekeeper/Shooting person and  ask them to deal with it.
Either way it needs killing.
 

[animal mad]

I was thinking the same joyfull, as it made a small hole killed the duck but couldn't fit the body back through the hole. Touch wood it seems to be ok now I have made a wire base so it can't dig in again. Just need to find some more girls now x

[bantam novice]

Oh Casey, I am so sorry 

[Casey76]

Well I've battened down the hatches, and so far so good and no more visits.

Where I live is very rural - I'm surrounded by argicultiral land, and I'm next door to a stream, so not only do I have foxes to contend with, but beech martens and possibly mink too.  All in all it's a bit of a nightmare.

Personally I would never set a snare, as I could only check it twice a day, and despite this being within guidelines, I still think it is too cruel.  I would have no issue with setting a humane trap though, but as I have no firearms licence, I couldn't dispatch a fox humanely, so I just have to make sure that my garden is as secure as possible.

I have nothing against foxes per se, but I do think it is a waste of food, when they only take the head.

[ANHBUC]

Well I've battened down the hatches, and so far so good and no more visits.

Where I live is very rural - I'm surrounded by argicultiral land, and I'm next door to a stream, so not only do I have foxes to contend with, but beech martens and possibly mink too.  All in all it's a bit of a nightmare.

Personally I would never set a snare, as I could only check it twice a day, and despite this being within guidelines, I still think it is too cruel.  I would have no issue with setting a humane trap though, but as I have no firearms licence, I couldn't dispatch a fox humanely, so I just have to make sure that my garden is as secure as possible.

I have nothing against foxes per se, but I do think it is a waste of food, when they only take the head.

I agree with your sentiments on that.  It annoys me with the countries that catch sharks, cut off their fins and dump them back in the ocean still alive to die a horrible death.  The humans who do that are worse than animals.   

Rant over.