(the first 30-40 seconds is the red fox's cry or bark)
I've surprised the fox behind the barn a couple of times and figured she is trying to figure out a way to get to my hens. Well, this evening I found out the primary reason she's hanging out there.
When I first surprised them, there were two kits. When I came back with the camera, only one of them ventured out. All that gravel you see is what the groundhogs have dug out from under the concrete floor of the barn. Obviously we should have been paying more attention to how bad it was on this northeast corner. The kit is actually inside the fence that surrounds the perimeter of the backyard and encloses three sides of the barn. The opening also goes out into the woods and that's how they made their way inside. I temporarily blocked the opening inside the fence while leaving the back open so they won't get trapped inside without their mother. Obviously the electric fence wire is not working. The kit was actually chewing on it while I watched.
Three of the hens were just a few feet away while I took pictures. Can you say sitting ducks? I really can't believe that I haven't lost any of them. I'm sure the mama must be hungry and also trying to feed her babies. It would be hard to begrudge her a chicken dinner. I just hope there are plenty of non-egg-laying critters out there in the woods to keep them happy and well-fed.
