Red Fox At Breton Meadow Farm

I work at a sheep farm in Lincoln, MA. The farm has 4 groups of Ouessant Sheep, which are said to be the smallest breed of sheep in the world. The farm also has a coop of mini-chickens. Despite the fact that the chicken's free range area is surrounded by a 3 foot electric fence, the owner of the farm told me that one of the hens had disappeared. We both assumed that no ground predators like foxes, coyotes, or raccoons would be able to get past the electric fence. She told me to let her know if I saw any hawks circling around.

I DID actually see a red tailed hawk circling around, but I completely forgot about it when I noticed something stalking along a wire fence, towards the lamb's area. The second my mind registered that I was looking at a fox, I quietly sprinted to my car, and grabbed my camera. I rushed back, and the fox was still there. I started taking photos every time it changed position...

After almost a minute of staring cautiously at me, it decided to flee. It ran up to the wire fence it had been walking along, and leapt right over it easily...

                                                         Then it ran across the next field...

 I completely lost track of the fox in my viewfinder, after it jumped the second fence. I watched as the fox slowed down as it approached the fence that surrounds the farm. This one is about 7 feet tall, and is electrified. The fox climbed up the wooden post shown below, like a squirrel, and jumped off the top, landing in the woods behind the property. Finally, it was safe. It gave one final look backwards, and then disappeared into the woods.

I think after this encounter, we know who took the chicken, because the fox demonstrated that it is easily capable of hopping an electric fence, and the fox today was definately looking for chickens, not sheep.