We have chickens and ducks that go in the barn at night and are out, free range, all day. There's a young fox (pup from this year) that is very thin and appears to have mange and he's eaten two roosters in two days. Today he made it into a rooster coop that is totally enclosed (we thought), got a rooster on it's back, I came running with my catch pole, went in the area, he tried to escape (good normal behavior) and he finally found the hole that allowed his entry and escaped. The rooster that I thought was dead got back up during the ordeal and I inspected him for wounds and apparrently his chest was in the process of being plucked. Several qusetions: Do fox not kill their prey immediately? Is there a resource that I could take him to to treat the mange and perhaps get a rabies shots for release? And, finally, Is there ANY way I can make this fox go away?? I really don't want him killed...unless rabid.

Thanks for any help! Cheri

It is going to be very difficult to get rid of the fox now that it knows how to get in to the chickens. Especially since it has attacked, killed, and eaten some of them. If it has mange it does not have the best chances of survival. I would recommend carefully checking the coop and blocking any access points that you find. And if that does not work, potentially trapping and removing the fox. I am not familiar with the wildlife laws in Massachusetts. So I would encourage you to call your local DNR wildlife biologist for their suggestions on how to deal with the fox. You can find information at: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/facilities/districts.htm Good luck with the fox.