The answer to “what do foxes eat?” may or may not surprise you. We grew up to believe that high on the list of a fox’s favorite food is the chicken. “A fox in the hen house” and a “fox guarding the hen house” are all too familiar phrases, and for years in and around farms the fox’s main enemy was probably the shotgun.A fox will still raid a hen house given the chance, but if the chicken’s pen is well fenced in, and there are other food sources available, the fox will usually leave the chickens alone. Chicken farmers have long since realized that the fox is a valuable animal to have around, as it feeds on rodents and other pests. It also does most of its hunting at night, so is not apt to bother chickens which roam around the yard in the daytime. The fox is also a very shy animal, and is unlikely to enter an area when humans are about.