The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: harry on September 01, 2011, 08:09:20 pm
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are foxes ever a threat to piglets.
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Not usually Harry.
Mummy pig will do a pretty good job of seeing off any foxes that dare to come close enough to be a threat and by the time they're weaned they'll be too fast and too heavy to be at risk. Obviously, if they are ill/weak/diseased it might be different but I've never heard of a fox taking a piglet.
HTH
Karen
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good ..i heard one barking tonight close by..... kks are now 10 weeks old, so pretty bosterious
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Foxes will and do take piglets but normally only upto about 3 weeks old.
I hvae known of two cases of foxes taken very young piglets, one piglet was found across a field still alive obviously having been dropped by the fox and went on to live a healthy life albeit scarred, in another case the fox destroyed all the piglets and left bits of them all over the field which was very distressing for the owner who found them.
However if your KK's are 10 weeks old they should be ok.
HTH
mandy :pig:
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I was talking to another shooting friend who was on a pig farm where one night whilst lamping saw 4 foxes working as a team, 2 attacked the sow with piglets keeping her at bay whilst the other two took the piglet and dropped them over the fence. But luckly he shot all foxes was brilliant to see him just pop 4 foxes off with ease!!!! So yes they can and do but like everyones said normally when they are small and if farrowing outside somethimes when shes gaving another piglet
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I wonder if fox aggression varies from area to area, we've had a lot of fox comments this morning and it seems that some areas suffer more than others. Does desperation motivate them or do they learn to hunt differently. I've never come across foxes working together for a meal i always thought they were fairly solitary creatures except at mating.
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I have a friend over on Clee Hill Shropshire, who lost a quarter grown pig to a large dog fox , he saw the incident from a distance but too late to save the pig.
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i lost poultry to foxes.... forgot to put electric fence on.... but with it on NO PROBLEM, they dont like it up em. best way ive found is a line of 3 tapes at different heights then one more line about a foot away and a foot high so the fox cant get near the fence to dig.
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Our nearest neighbour has regularly see a fox using our driveway as a thoroughfare between the harbour and the fields further inland, but we've never had a problem with them getting at our chickens.
I put it down to the foxes being unsure of the scent from our Kunes and giving the place a wide berth.
I wouldn't rate a fox's chances against even one of our Kunes.
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There are a lot of foxes where we keep ours and i have to admit i was a tad concerned, but as there wasn't a lot i could do about it we left nature take it's course. Luckily we've still got 10 piglets and now that they're in the big field i'm not sure if i'm happier about it now that momma will find it harder to protect them. I'm in the same situation now and we'll leave it and see what happens
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Don't worry too much ;)
By the time my Kune Kune piglets are 6 weeks old, their average weight is around 15Kg - I really couldn't see a fox managing to lift them, even if they managed to catch them.
Karen :wave:
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are foxes ever a threat to piglets.
Foxes will mainly take only newly born piglets ie those that are born during the farrowing period when the sow is in labour.
Those piglets that have strayed out into the fenders by accident are the highest at risk.
We always electric fence our farrowing so never have had a major problem, but I know farms who have.
I guess if you have had problems then you believe they will and if you haven't then you believe they won't.
Better to be safe than sorry me thinks! :wave: :pig:
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Don't worry too much ;)
By the time my Kune Kune piglets are 6 weeks old, their average weight is around 15Kg - I really couldn't see a fox managing to lift them, even if they managed to catch them.
Karen :wave:
Bloody hell :) mine are 6 weeks old this Thrusday and they don't weigh anywhere near 15kg :farmer: