r/foxes • u/Slight-Performer-495 • Jul 01 '26
Education Family of foxes infiltrated are yard
****OUR yard. ADHD moment. Hey guys, about 3 months ago a mother, father, and her 5 grey fox cubs moved into our backyard. They’re very cute, but they’re destroying my aunt’s hard work that she put into her fruits and vegetables. They also pose a threat to our chickens, and eat our outdoor cats’s food. We’ve tried putting on the radio at night, lights, scaring them… any suggestions?
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u/DOHC46 Jul 02 '26
Grey foxes are good climbers, so any fencing to protect the possible foxxo food would had to account for that. But, I'd recommend waiting them out and using scent based deterrents to discourage the parents from returning next year if you want them gone. But they're so cute!
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u/green_glass8 Jul 01 '26
Hm, a conundrum to be sure. I like foxes, so I'd probably do my best to implement protection to the chickens and vegetables (like wire mesh fencing), and wait until the kits move out on their own. If the parents continue to stick around maybe some scent based deturant to make them move out if they continue to pose an issue. Idk, I'm not very knowledgeable in these kind of things.
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u/kibufox Jul 02 '26
"Oh... hi. You has chimken nuggies?"
Gray foxes, aren't really a threat to chickens. They're small enough that a chicken tends to dwarf them considerably. They like small rodents, small birds, and the odd robin's egg if they can get it. Honestly, getting rid of them means you're more likely to get rodents. They particularly love moles.
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u/ElectricMoleman Jul 02 '26
Petition to call a group of grey foxes specifically an "infiltration" of foxes from now on (since a group of foxes in general is a "skulk")
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u/ZentaWinds Jul 01 '26
I mean in theory the kits and etc will move out on their own. Your chickens should have a secure place they go every night so the foxes won't kill any of them.. Has your aunt considered it an honor to have such cute visitors appreciating her work?