If you live in an area where there are foxes around, you may be asking yourself if they eat chickens. After all, chickens are smaller than foxes.
Yes, foxes do eat chickens. Fox are opportunistic hunters and will attack chickens. They are swift and able to make a quick killing. Then they will drag the whole chickens away to somewhere safe where they will eat it whole.
Will a Fox Eat A Whole Chicken?
The answer is no. The fox would not eat all of the chicken because it would be too big for the fox to finish.
After they are full, the fox will leave the chicken. Other animals will likely come and finish eating the chicken.
Do Foxes Take Chickens Away?
After they are able to get into the coop, they usually take the chicken away from their coop and eat them.
Eating the chicken at the place of the kill is too of a risk for them. After the chicken is killed, the fox will drag the chicken far away from the coop.
Once they will safe, they will start to eat the chicken.
Will a Fox Come Back For Chickens?
Foxes are opportunistic hunters. As foxes find chickens more abundant and easy prey, it is likely that they will start hunting them again.
Therefore, there is a significant chance that foxes will start preying on chickens again in the near future.
To prevent foxes from coming back again, it’s best to try to keep the chickens away. As they come and have no chances of catching and killing the chickens, they will look elsewhere to look for prey.
What Time Of Day Do Foxes Hunt?
Foxes will usually hunt during dawn and dusk when there is limited daylight. However, if opportunities arise, foxes will hunt any time of the day or night.
For that reason, it’s important to keep alert during dawn and dusk. Chickens don’t have very good eyesight when there are limited lights. The chances of the foxes catching chickens are high.
Can Foxes Climb Fences?
Foxes are natural climbers and can climb trees, but not fences. They have a special pad on their paws that allows them to grip the surface of a fence while climbing it.
Foxes are able to climb up the side of a fence because of their front legs which are longer than the other four legs and they have a unique ability to rotate their back legs 180 degrees so that they are in line with the front legs when climbing vertically.
Do Roosters Protect Hens From Foxes?
Foxes are predators and they do great harm to the chickens, but roosters are known to protect their hens from these predators.
The roosters do protect hens from foxes in some cases. Roosters are more likely to protect hens in their own territory than outside of it. In some areas, roosters have even been known to attack foxes on sight.
How To Protect Chickens From Foxes
Foxes are a significant threat to chickens. They kill and eat them, and they also attack the chickens in an attempt to steal their eggs. To protect chickens from foxes, there are different methods depending on how many chickens you have. Some chicken owners will secure just the chicken coops that are difficult for foxes to get into, while others put up fences around the yard.
Below are some of the ways that you can keep your flock safe from foxes.
Fence
The most common way of protecting chickens from foxes is by using a fence. However, if you want to protect your poultry farm from predators while still having easy access for the birds, then you can install an electronic fence that will keep the fox away while allowing your birds access to food and water.
Electronic fences use an electronic signal that sends a shock when the animal gets too close and keeps them away. These types of fences are very effective in keeping out predators like foxes and coyotes while still allowing your birds access to food and water.
If you don’t want to put up an expensive fence, then you could use some chicken wire and some large rocks to make a barrier around your coop.
Secure the Coop
Foxes are slick and can get through a small hole. To prevent them from getting into the coop, it’s important to secure it. This means there should be no holes around the coop. If there are, the fox can bite and make the hole bigger so they can get through.
At the top of the coop, it should be secured as well. Foxes have no problem climbing up the coop.
Using Guard Animals
There are different animals that you can keep in your yard to help protect your chickens from foxes. One of them being Alpacas. This animal is great at keeping foxes away. Foxes are scared of Alpacas and will not come close to them.
Another animal that is great for guarding chickens is a dog. Not any type of dog will be able to guard them though. It has to be large enough to scare the foxes away while being gentle to the chickens.
The breeds that work best for protecting chickens from foxes are Old English Sheepdog, Maremma Sheepdog, Akbash, Pyrenean Mastiff, Komondor, Puli, Anatolian Shepherd, and Great Pyrenees.
Conclusion
Foxes don’t usually prey on chickens. Their typical prey is small animals that include mice, rats, rabbits, and birds. However, when food becomes scarce or a chicken is within sight, foxes will attack and eat the chicken.
