I used to think foxes were swell. I thought they were desirable animals to have skulking around ones house. When I saw one I greeted it cheerfully, friendly-like.
They eat mice you see, and I've got mice. My cat Patches does her part, but still I have many many ticks in my yard, so many I am afraid to garden without toxic protection on. I love essential oils, but let's face it, they do not keep ticks off, no matter what oils you use or how much of them, and they are expensive. So a fox or two to eat the mice that host the ticks that sink their mouths into humans that get lyme disease wouldn't hurt at all, now would it?
WRONG!
I lost one chicken to a fox last week, and today nearly lost another. I heard the ruckus, ran out and scared that beautiful animal off. He (she?) had something in its mouth as it scurried away, something not nearly large enough to be a chicken. But one of my girls, Barbara, lay inert and partially plucked outside the gate to her yard, stunned but still alive. Somehow this fox got the large chicken OUT of the chicken yard! I've since read a fox can pry open a gate, so a new gate is in order. Until then though, the hens are now confined to their coop and run unless I am out there with them. Too bad, because they are used to free ranging for 4 to 8 hours a day.
Barbara seemed fine after a few minutes and I could not find any wounds. She got up on her roost easily. They are all now in a very secure run and coop, or so I hope. I'm not sure what lengths a hungry fox can go to. We'll see how many hens I have left tomorrow morning.
This is my entry to 
The image is mine of a trinket in my house. I don't have any fox related things so you get a chicken related thing.
