Kinda weird suggestion but 30 yeas ago I was told by an old farmer to pee around the coop door. He also said the higher up the wall you pee the bigger and more intimidating you seem to other predators.
Foxes eat a lot of rodents that help transmit Lyme. No need to kill it if you can deter it from messing with your birds.
Interestingly, he said it doesn’t work as well if you’re a vegetarian
I live in NH, but I've had issues with foxes and my chickens as well. I set up an electric fence around the run and its kept them away from the run and coop at least. If they're free ranged, then it's tough.
In NH, you can shoot an animal if its doing harm to your livestock or poultry.
I'm in a residential area, but I blasted one and no one cared. My neighbors were all out trying to shoot it. Mass would be different though I'm sure.
I tried motion lights and the foxes didn't seem to care in the slightest.
...just a PSA and not judging...depending on where you live and if you love your mutts...DO NOT leave Fox Food out unless you are certain only Mr. Fox will partake...the bright juice is very indiscriminate...
Okay I had this same issue. I lost about 25-30 birds to a GD fox. Let me tell you it was hard to deal with it because of my work schedule.
We let the chickens out in the morning and lock up at dusk. When the fox started to hit us in the spring we kept them cooped up till later in the day so they would only be free for 3-5 hours. That worked at first.
That was until he learned when they where out and we began to get hit again. He would get at a minimum a chicken a day, sometimes 3-4 but would only take one, left the others for later.
I will spare you my failed attempts so below is what did the job.
It was at this point I took some time off work. I let the chickens out early evening like I had been doing. He was hitting my house within an hour of me letting them out.
So I sat in a chair tucked away well out of his sight and waited. When the fox came sauntering into my yard to get dinner I protected my livestock. I haven’t had a problem since. It is also the same thing I will do again if need be.