Once or twice a year we’ll notice we lose some of our egg layer chickens. Well this morning it started again. I went out to milk the goats with Crosby and I saw what I thought was my sisters cat by the picnic table. Once I got closer I realized it was much bigger than a cat and it was chasing a chicken! I started running and yelling at this fox… which didn’t really phase him. The fox still didn’t notice me but by this time it had a chicken in his mouth. Once I got a little closer he dropped the chicken and ran off past the bee boxes. I never thought I would have an actual showdown with a fox!
Crosby and I looked around and noticed piles of feathers all over. He had gotten to the chickens so early because I forgot to close up the coop last night after I was done milking the goats. We counted 7 chickens that the fox got to that he had just killed and left and who knows how many he took home. I’m not sure how foxes work but we’re sort of assuming that the times of the year when a lot of chickens get eaten is a time when the fox or other animal have babies at home that they need to feed. (If you know the real reason I’d love to hear what it is.)
Good thing he didn’t get to any of our meat chickens or turkeys but that is one of the reasons why we won’t let the meat birds fully free range…. too many casualties. Well, hopefully he won’t come back but for now and we’ll keep the egg layers in their coop for a couple days so the fox might leave them alone. What a sad morning.
mauledbydesign 
Oh wow. That’s unfortunate. Watch out for raccoons as well. Our chickens were found dead with some raccoons stuck in their coops.
Rut-ro… no likey. Although it brings to mind the wonderful kids tune about the fox going out on a chilly night…praying the moon to give him light.
*anna
I’m going to have to look that song up!
And then Bumpa dealt with the fox if you catch my drift! That cunning fox ain’t so cunning anymore!