The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: smiffy on June 13, 2009, 12:02:56 am
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Well i have never come accross this before...........
We have a fox, so i have set the live fox trap ;D
The fox arrives about 2pm every afternoon, well for the last 4 days! I 1st noticed it on sunday.
sneaks in the chicken runs,
AND EATS THE LAYERS PELLETTS ???
the chickens gather round as if to say 'ohhhh look at our fox'
I can only assume the fox has been coming for a while as they are not one bit bothered by it being in the runs.
My terrier pretends she cant see it ::)
It is totally ignoring the trap. My friends are laughing at me stateing even the foxes who visit the farm are disfunctional!!!!!
I will try and get a photo this weekend.
I am in a bit of a confused state by it all.... my sensible side says shoot the darn thing before it kills the birds, but it even ignores the young chicks, and week old turkey poults, which would be so very easy to catch.
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Definately strange behaviour. Perhaps a vegetarian fox, it seems a bit harsh to kill this animal when it is not killing your animals but better safe than sorry. Avoid disaster shoot the bugger!
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maybe a Fox with a conscious!!!
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or a Vegi ;D
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maybe he's spent so much time with them when he was a cub that he thinks he's a chicken ... or maybe he's an orphan - don't they get taught by their parents how to hunt? Let us know how you get on, I bet we are all curious now, but I hope you won't get any casualties once he discovers his real nature! :&>
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Oooh, thats a new one on me. I would be tempted to say, well, he is not harming the chickens, but, on the other hand, he may get fed up of the pellets and decide a chicken dinner would be nicer. I am just wondering if he is a tame fox that has been hand reared, and has been brought up with dogs and hens??
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fox about kill it. this seems to be the general consensus i get from here. i was out today walking the pigs (i bring them around the fields for a little stroll) and came across a fox who has its den in my bottom field (only twigged this today).in the last 6 months ive had 2 fox attacks (2 ducks,1 hen,1 rooster killed). do i feel the need to get the exterminator out to rid me of this "vermin" or do the deed myself? no. why... i feel we can live in harmony together if he takes 1/2/all of my chooks... so be it... such is life. would i feed my young the best way possible? yes. i just have to be more vigilant how i look after my birds.
these are just my thoughts
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maybe he has joinned the 'Chickens are friends' club?
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We once had an Old dog fox who was more interested in fruit. we just assumed he had lost his teeth and couldn't catch and kill any more. Incidences of older foxes are on the rise as more and more scavange bins and compost heaps for spare food
If he had spots I doubt if he would change them.... perhaps it would be best to feed him/her enough to make it unnecessary to kill your hens?
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could it me a tame fox thats has been let loss but was fed on dog food before so doesn't know how to kill?
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That's a great one for 'spring watch' - try and get a video, might make the local news or make you a few bob on 'Animals do the strangest things'...would be nice to think you don't have to worry BUT...if it takes a mate, she/he may not be as discerning!
Contact your local Wildlife Centre or RSPCA and see if they could trap it and remove it rather than have to shoot it...good luck
Farmer
:farmer:
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it shows your defences are not fox proof you should be very glad you have this fox visiting and not a hungry mother. why kill something thats not doing harm. once its dead another will move in and that may believe in the tradional chuck fox relationship.
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I have been close enough, the fox is a cub!
Shetaland paul, most of our hens are behind Heras fencing, but we have some runs that are electric fenced, however i took the carger unit off, to seperate the horses and some young heifers when i turned the cattle out, as we have never had a fox.!!! Untill now :-[ I supose we were lucky this time..... it just shows
I have been asking about and a vixen was shot three weeks ago about half a mile away(as the crow flys)
Looks like its just hungry and not been taught to hunt. I will be moving the fox trap tomorrow to the area it is coming through the stock net. Its a shame really, but i dont want to come out one day and find a load of headless chickens!
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The circle of life!!! I love ALL animals, even slugs and snails BUT, we all have to eat and if our food stock is taken then we have to prevent and protect as much as we can. I do feel for the cub but, what about th larder of chickens!!!!!
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Shoot the damn fox, and if the chooks get in the way, shoot the damn chooks, and if the wife gets in the way, tell the police you didn't see her until it was too late ;D ;D ;D
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That is so sad - the poor wee thing all alone in the big bad world and trying to feed itself. I don't know if instinct would eventually take over and make it interested in your chickens or not. As it is still a youngster would the RSPCA not be interested in capturing and taking it to a site where perhaps it could be integrated with older ones that would train it how to hunt? Whatever happens your priority is to safeguard your livestock. I am hoping for a phone call today from someone to say they will come and get rid of my fox problem - now 3 weeks I have been waiting.
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Shoot the damn fox, and if the chooks get in the way, shoot the damn chooks, and if the wife gets in the way, tell the police you didn't see her until it was too late ;D ;D ;D
Have you been taking lesson from MrREE?
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Mr Ree and me, have similar dispositions.....
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I'm sure every second reply you right you advise shooting some poor wee creature! Where is it you live? I must make sure I don't accidently stray onto your land!!! ;D
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Hope Lovespigs doesn't read this and gets upset again - the good old fox issue, does it for some of us every time, just like a real explosive! I'm going to keep my cool this time round...:&>
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could it me a tame fox thats has been let loss but was fed on dog food before so doesn't know how to kill?
IMHO......... I would say that was the case. For a number of years 'someone' was releasing 'tame' fox's around here, the poor things had no idea how to feed themselves and would sit and stare as I past on the quad !! A nice bowl of layers pellets would be a easy dinner ;)
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I'm sure every second reply you right you advise shooting some poor wee creature! Where is it you live? I must make sure I don't accidentally stray onto your land!!! ;D
are you a poacher?? ;D ;D ;D Time to load the Gatling gun! MiriMaran if i've to you once, i've told you a thousand times, don't exaggerate ;D ;D
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Whatever way you look at it its vermin! it will go on to produce more vermin and probably repay you by bringing its family back next year and eating all your chickens! ;) I'd shoot the bugger!
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I had something similar this time last year. The cub eventually learned how to kill, and i managed to get to it after it had killed one pullet and mauled two others. Either kill it or stop it getting in or you will end up with dead birds.
Morgan, does you missus read this.
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Thankfully no....she thinks pigs are herbivores, thankfully!! Otherwise my posts would have ended long ago and the CID would be picking up my teeth from the field ;D ;D
Seriously though, she does read my posts......she knows I have a quirky sense of humour ;D
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If its a cub it will definitly learn to kill at some point! Find a way of getting rid of it or shoot it! Keep your poultry safe :)
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I'm still going to give you a wide bearth Sausagesandcash!! ;D
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Geographically I think you're safe ;D