Does anyone have any ideas to stop foxes taking hens. Since last night we had 10 taken took 6 but buried the rest in the garden.

 

Wait at night, with a 22. firearm and shoot them - its probably the best and most humane - if you dont have a firearms cert. I am sure there will be plenty of people in your area who will oblige (and for no cost).

If you cant do that (for whatever reason) try snares - if the fox has a particular path it takes to catch them, snare it up (self explanitory really, and there cheap enough to buy from the local ag merchants). NOTE; Snares have to be checked at least once a day (due to the law) but if you go down to feed the hens it wont be a problem.

Hope this helps!

    We used to have the same problem, so 3 years ago I  begged 3 guinea fowl from the local keeper and since then have only lost 2 chickens to the fox, and that was our fault we shut the henhouse door before the last 2 were in.

    The guinea fowl make a tremendous noise if they hear anything predatory approaching. Our guinea fowl lay in the nestboxes with the chickens, so if you want tame guinea fowl hatch them with some chickens and they will grow up together. Good luck!

Yes, thats a great idea by corky - we have rarebreed hens (they cost a fortune) and right next to the shed they stay in is a house and the house have a flock of say 20/30 guinea fowl (they just live there and dont farm the land). The fowl roam and basically go all over our fields - boss is happy though as since they have them, we aint even seen a fox let alone had a problem with them. They are great guard dogs and aint that hard to keep. But when they squark, THEY SQUARK!!

Thanks will Try that hope that keeps the blighters away. 

Corky, is it the noise the guinea fowl make which scares off  foxes or the fact that they then alert a human prescence which does the same?

We are having a problem with foxes at the moment, usually because if we go out for the evening it seems too early to shut up the ducks and  hens at 6pm, only to get back at 11pm to find one missing. A neighbour advised human urine as a fox deterrent which could mean a trip to Tuffins beer corner in order to stock up on the basic ingredients for a chemical fence! 

paddington bear:

which could mean a trip to Tuffins beer corner in order to stock up on the basic ingredients for a chemical fence! 

 

Thats one hell of an excuse to get drunk!!!

There are lots of ways to stop foxes. A good perimeter fence, or shooting them are my prefered choices. Not always practical though!! Great suggestion from people who said about the guinea fowl, also geese make good guard dogs!! Human hair tied around the garden in old tights is supposed to be a good deterant. Also maybe if you've got the room, get an alpaca! Foxes can't stand their scent! When I kept chickens as pets, the worst thing were daytime raids. Once had 40 pure bred marans & silkies all about 16 weeks old, for my next years breeding stock. Came home to find 3 silkies the only ones left. The rest had all been slaughtered, heads ripped off. That was 15 years ago & still remember like it was yesterday.

An early recollection is of seeing a hen house full of hens ripped to pieces, a fox had got into my uncle's henhouse at night and killed the lot. My aunt didn't want me to see the carnage but my uncle said something about letting the lad look, this is a fox for you.

This still comes to mind years later when I find a fox's work. 

  Paddington Bear --- I think that it's the noise!

                I have some fertile guinea fowl eggs at the moment, that you can try to incubate if you have a broody hen to sit them under.Just let me know if you'd like a few.

             

 

 I would like to take the eggs but now after last nights raid we have no hens left.

Corky, my limited experience with guinea fowl is that they are little b****rs to get in at night from the trees and I know who will given that job, but thanks for the offer anyway. 

We had one Guinea Fowl who we called Agie. She was the enforcer of the flock. After three years she laid an egg. That very night the fox got her.

Cage traps are a good tool too. Use the ones with the swing-down cage door, not those flimsy things that Trapman sell. I usually bait with something nice and strong-smelling - roast chicken is ideal - and scatter a bit of pouch cat food around as ground bait. Deal with them with a shotgun when caught, and check regularly in case you find yourself with a cat, terrier or badger in there.

Ack, guinea fowl are the dumbest birds I have ever had dealings with.

I would suggest a fence that is at least 3 ft buried underground and 5 ft high.