fox five, hedgerow nill

[hedgerow pete]

went up to the allotment this morning to find a two legged fox had broken intot he chicken pen to steal eggs and left the door wide open so the fox made the most of it, all my rare breed ixworths all headless.

so i shall stuff the last ten eggs from them into the incubator to see if i can rescue some thing and , it looks as if i am going to go to cov to get some more battery hens in a few weeks time.

bugger

 

[Poly Hive]

I honestly sympathise, I so remember many years ago returning home at lunchtime to find my 20 strong flock destroyed by Mr Fox.

I destroyed him the next day though.

PH

 

[Appinpiper]

Reynard is a real pain here we have loads of them on the Berwyns and most nights one or two will set off the alarm we have in our back garden by jumping over the gate. Disturbs my beauty sleep
Was going to keep some chucks but not with this number of foxes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So sorry to hear that. What really rotten luck. Your two legged fox needs shooting first.

 

[region2]

Local gamekeeper (I live near an Agricultural College) keeps the foxes in check - not seen one since living here!

Chicks all accounted for 6 months from being POL...

R2

 

[drstitson]

"so i shall stuff the last ten eggs from them into the incubator to see if i can rescue some thing"

i'd go for it; nothing to lose. not the best time of year though - presume will end up with house chickens for a few months.

 

[MJBee]

When we lived up near Berwick we had all sorts of chickens, Mr Fox paid us a visit some time between 2 and 4pm!! - broad daylight the cheek of it.

Killed 15, took one and buried one, the local keeper said as he had buried one he would be back the next night - he was and I was waiting .410 - 1 fox - 0

Tough luck HP, hope you catch the 2 and 4 legged vermin.

 

[porterswoods]

I had a fox jump a 5 foot fence at 6pm (in daylight) and killed 40 hens and took none. The next night it was shot, all 5 of them!

 

[Headnavigator]

B*****d foxes. I really don't understand where the sympathy for them comes from.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Bad luck Pete.

 

[biglongdarren]

At least the four legged fox doesn't know to the difference.........

 

[JamezF]

i feel your pain. Every time we have a fox break in our chicken runs get more and more like Fort Knox. I reckon they work their way around the pens looking for a way in almost every single night. Collecting up the bodies of dead chickens after a fox attack is absolutely soul-destroying. It's not just chickens, either. A couple of years ago we returned home after a weekend away to find several lambs missing, but for a few piles of wool in their field. There were so many reports from neighbouring farmers of lambs being injured by foxes that year. When you think that each lamb represents at least £100 worth of meat by the time it reaches slaughter, that's really not funny.

Around here, they've just ceased to be that scared of humans. You've almost got to step on them (as we nearly did late yesterday morning to a huge dog fox -- must have been within ten yards of it) before they'll run. As soon as I can justify the cost I shall be purchasing a rifle. I really don't like killing animals when it isn't for food, but foxes are just so destructive.

James

 

[countryman]

bad luck pete symphathys
we had mr foxy sneak in just as we were locking them up saw the shadow moving in so quickly got a fork and lump hammer he came out with stars going round his head didnt visit again although his mates have been and had some kentucky since even found the remains of one well isay remains it was just a bloody big drumstick with a claw and feathers on from 12 down to 2 now got get some more now

 

[biglongdarren]

i feel your pain. Every time we have a fox break in our chicken runs get more and more like Fort Knox. I reckon they work their way around the pens looking for a way in almost every single night. Collecting up the bodies of dead chickens after a fox attack is absolutely soul-destroying. It's not just chickens, either. A couple of years ago we returned home after a weekend away to find several lambs missing, but for a few piles of wool in their field. There were so many reports from neighbouring farmers of lambs being injured by foxes that year. When you think that each lamb represents at least £100 worth of meat by the time it reaches slaughter, that's really not funny.

Around here, they've just ceased to be that scared of humans. You've almost got to step on them (as we nearly did late yesterday morning to a huge dog fox -- must have been within ten yards of it) before they'll run. As soon as I can justify the cost I shall be purchasing a rifle. I really don't like killing animals when it isn't for food, but foxes are just so destructive.

James

If you can get that close a shotgun would be plenty for them.

 

[countryman]

with a nice 36 gram load and size 8 shot (might have a bit of a headache for a while lol)

 

[For want of a better word]

Shotgun with a good eye kills more foxes than
"12 gay men dressed all in pink"
anyday​

 

[MuswellMetro]

You've had a bad year Pete, hope 2012 is better

Geoffrye

 

[onriver]

saw a lovely response years ago to the stop killing foxes argument - a commercial free range poultry unit had worked out that it was more efficient and cost effective to have a local vixen rear cubs next door, well fed on deliberately left out chicken waste, than to try and control the foxes. It turned out she was a better deterrent and defended the farm better than a shotgun?
possible or just hearsay?

 

[porterswoods]

saw a lovely response years ago to the stop killing foxes argument - a commercial free range poultry unit had worked out that it was more efficient and cost effective to have a local vixen rear cubs next door, well fed on deliberately left out chicken waste, than to try and control the foxes. It turned out she was a better deterrent and defended the farm better than a shotgun?
possible or just hearsay?

I've tried it, it works well for 6 months but then she needs more chicken than i have to feed to her cubs, I don't go out to produce dead chickens to feed her.

By now she already knows how to get in, but has never needed to in the past. It is this point I reach for the shotgun.

 

[hedgerow pete]

i must admit i dont mind the fox as she was doing what foxes do, the pen is fox proof, wire on all sides and on the roof to and she cant dig under it, but theres sod all i can do with a pratt leaving the door open.

just to make it worse has to be the fact they were rare bread ixworths which i like and they had just finished moulting and were coming back on the lay, i was hoping that in aprill to put a few batches through the incubator to lift the girls numbers and the frozen roosters at home.

Instead i will have to bite the bullet and go back to rescued caged birds instead. not what i realy wanted to do as i wanted to keep a bread of chickens rather than egg layers