[harmony]

We are in the city. No shotguns allowed. Only air rifle, but that is not allowed on foxes

ah. that's different then... you didn't mention that in the OP.

Hugh FW tried an experiment at the 1st river cottage (where he has chicken houses on stilts) where he got human hair from the local barber and hung bunches in stockings around the chicken area - the theory being that foxes hate human smell. I suspect this would not work as well in the city though.

One thing is for sure, the fox now knows you have a food source. you could try and trap it in a livetrap... then drive 50 miles away into the wilderness and do as you will (shoot/release). I suspect the local animal rescue types probably do this occasionally (they certainly did it in London), but I doubt they will do it by request... you could always ask them.

Yes, mulling it over some more I'd recommend buying a fox trap by mail order, get up very very early in the morning to check it, and drive it to the country. Otherwise the fox is coming back for your chickens.

Please don't do that because we have enough!

[Womble]

If not then you are into something that can kill it without you having to open the cage. Believe me... a caged fox is not a friendly creature.

I can't think of any method in that circumstance that would count as humane.

[farmershort]

If not then you are into something that can kill it without you having to open the cage. Believe me... a caged fox is not a friendly creature.

I can't think of any method in that circumstance that would count as humane.

Really? It's a sudden drop in blood pressure my severing a main artery that is accepted as the humane method for farm animal slaughter. Of course having an animal in a very small cage is not humane, but the dispatching of it certainly could be.

[Dave C]

We are in the city. No shotguns allowed. Only air rifle, but that is not allowed on foxes

ah. that's different then... you didn't mention that in the OP.

Hugh FW tried an experiment at the 1st river cottage (where he has chicken houses on stilts) where he got human hair from the local barber and hung bunches in stockings around the chicken area - the theory being that foxes hate human smell. I suspect this would not work as well in the city though.

One thing is for sure, the fox now knows you have a food source. you could try and trap it in a livetrap... then drive 50 miles away into the wilderness and do as you will (shoot/release). I suspect the local animal rescue types probably do this occasionally (they certainly did it in London), but I doubt they will do it by request... you could always ask them.

Yes, mulling it over some more I'd recommend buying a fox trap by mail order, get up very very early in the morning to check it, and drive it to the country. Otherwise the fox is coming back for your chickens.

Please don't do that because we have enough!

I totally agree.

10 years ago we used to shoot an average of 8-12 a year on our shoot.

Last 4 or 5 years we have been shooting 30-40 a year on the same land.
Which is surrounded by keepered land 
Must be town releases 

[harmony]

Town releases are often chipped. Check the lower leg for shaved hair.

[Penninehillbilly]

   I lost most of my hens and ducks through some IDIOT goody goody letting one go near us, luckily we were friendly with a gamekeeper and he came and shot it.

Macgro,  there are licensed pest controllers, they should be able to shoot on your private land, even in a town. unfortunately you will have to feed the fox (dog meat) for a few days.

[macgro7]

The problem is we have brook flowing through the middle of our land. It's nice for ducks but the foxes use it as their highway!
One day I need to follow it upstream and I'm pretty sure I'd find the fox nest.
Spoke to one of my neighbours last week. She said she feeds foxes chicken leftovers in her garden 
After I told my wife about the fox coming she started screaming at me, saying it's my fault... 

[Penninehillbilly]

Always upsetting when they've been, do you have a dog you can leave loose during the day?
Urban foxes don't seem too bothered about waiting till dark, esp. if someone is feeding them.
We had one about 9.30 in the morning, found some poor hens that had tried to get into the dead grass at the bottom of the fence, bitten on their backs, but presume died of shock. The one that wiped us out was 8.30pm in June, I'd heard them skwarking (?), but just thought they were fratching,  cockerel even came looking for me but I put him back over the fence. (He did survive, and one that was caged because she was broody). Everything else, including my gorgeous little call ducks gone. I was working on some fencing less than 50 metres away. Stupid me, I can never forgive myself.
Damn stupid rescue people.

[big soft moose]

.243 and a lamp gets rid of foxes reliably ... you ought to be able to get a licenced pest controller to come and shoot it for you urban or not -  so long as he uses a silencer and makes sure hes got a safe backdrop it shouldnt be an issue

of course its likely that another one will just move into the vacated niche so other precautions like electrification as also wise

[macgro7]

Did I mention I caught two in the past. One young one last year and another one the year before. They just keep breeding. Once I saw two at once. And they were adults in winter.
Getting rid of another one is not going to solve any problem...
I think my best solution would be to get a dog!

[devonlady]

Whippets are good, quiet dogs but can be lethal to foxes. Ask my pack!!

[macgro7]

I'd really love to have a whippet! Or a whippet bedlington cross! Perfect rabbit dog!
Bit my wife is scared of dogs and doesn't like them at all.
Anyway, as soon as I woke up at 7.30 the fox was already there. I locked the chickens, geese and ducks last night though in a very fox proof enclosure.
I opened the window to scare her away but she's not much bothered!

[Penninehillbilly]

Did I mention I caught two in the past. One young one last year and another one the year before. They just keep breeding. Once I saw two at once. And they were adults in winter.
Getting rid of another one is not going to solve any problem...
I think my best solution would be to get a dog!

Getting rid of the youngsters won't solve the problem, they get kicked out by parents anyway, Get the parents, at least if another moves in to the area it won't know where your fast food site is. (Not straight away anyway).
This time of year vixen may be having cubs, need to sort them quickly, or you'll be feeding a family.

[macgro7]

Again I hate that fox. It learnt to visit the birds at day time.
I usually open them at 8 am and go to work. When I came back couple of hours later to drop something off all I saw was ginger feathers.
I saw it again at 8pm - half an hour before dark! I was just getting ready to lock the birds up. I saw it from the window walking towards geese and muscovies - it was not interested in the at all - they were staring at it but the fox wasn't even looking at them - I was clearly only looking for chickens. But they were all already eaten...
I was really worried they it will kill the geese or ducks by the time I put my shoes on and get out but it was not even looking at them!

[hughesy]

I know just how angry and frustrated yu can get when a fox has taken your poultry. It has happened to us a fair few times. No point hating the fox. He or she is just trying to make a living like the rest of us. The environment is theirs, not ours, and if we choose to keep poultry in their manor it is up to us to ensure that the birds are kept safe. Foxy is a n opportunist who will patrol every possible source of food on his manor and will instantly spot a chance to take advantage of your mistakes.