The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Lazarus on June 10, 2014, 12:02:01 am
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Mr Fox paid us a visit yesterday, in broad daylight, and took a laying hen. Five minutes later he was back and savaged our prime cockerel. Bast**d. I got a couple of shots in with the air rifle, but it is clear I really need a shotgun licence! It's time to resume foxhunting proper methinks.
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You'll be in big trouble if someone finds out you've shot at a fox with an air rifle. It can only be injured and that's not humane so not legal.
Get a shotgun licence and learn how to use one. You will need special ammunition for a fox -largest legal shot size. In the meantime your urban fox will be back daily, so keep your chickens safe in an enclosure.
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Country foxes can come back daily too .... one returned daily to pick off a neighbours hens in daylight.
Is there a local gamekeeper? They will often help.
You can trap them .... others on here will be able to tell you how.
Air rifle is not humane.
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We had a few visits and lost 2 ducks. We set the trap and caught one fox....set the trap again and managed to catch a Springer Pup, next time, a working cocker !!! fab piece of kit lol...On a serious note our dogs are out all day every day and this does not deter the foxes....trap, trap and trap again ....
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Unfortunately at this time of year vixens are jumpy and won't go in a trap. I lost 10 hens and a cockerel last week mid afternoon. We set a trap but fox goes round it and heads for the live hens! Shotgun is the only thing that will stop it. It jumps straight through squares of stock netting.
I'm going to try keeping them in runs for a bit until cubs are grown up. Hopefully then they will hunt less. They didn't even take one just murdered them all
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Yes get a shotgun and be very careful in the next few days- our neighbour kept losing his hens in broad daylight and the chicken were very close to the house. I've lost a few but touch wood been ok this year but shotgun is always on standby...
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We've lost 5 or 6 lately too and always in the afternoon.
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I agree, if there is one thing I despise its foxes, thankfully any fox leaves our hens alone. To keep the fox out I would suggest either putting high voltage electric fence around where the hens are, or build a very high fence and put a powerful electric wire around the bottom of it, plus get a shotgun too, so if you see him lurking shoot him. :trophy:
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I was only joking about the air rifle. More like using an air guitar really - in the event, I actually just pointed my fingers at Mr Fox and shouted 'bang'. You will understand I was really that vexed and hopping mad at the time, I had to do something to release tension! Fox ran off - mission accomplished, I suppose. Anyway, I have now calmed down and propose to make a humane trap out of an old dog cage. If this is successful, I plan to release any foxes into the forestry next door in the hope that they can find their way back home. Chickens will be confined indoors until they can grace the table. If anyone will be eating them, we will!
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To release a trapped fox is illegal. . . .
Also releasing them into the territory next door does nothing, apart from educate the fox to the trap and then let them go back into their territory, to come back and kill your birds another day . . . . .
Trying to trap a fox that someone has already trapped and let go, is a nightmare!
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I plan to release any foxes into the forestry next door in the hope that they can find their way back home.
No, no, no, please don't! ???
Apart from the legality of such an action, the likelihood of the fox(s) returning will not be diminished.
Is the forest managed by the Forestry Commission? Give the local office a ring and ask to speak to the Wildlife or Deer Manager.
They should be able to recommend someone who will carry out a humane kill of any live-catch fox.
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crossbow
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A man I met in the pub has come up trumps. He's said there is a local project sponsored by a well known concern to tag all foxes so that we can monitor their whereabouts by mobile phone. When I told him about me shouting 'bang' to frighten the fox away he laughed. I found that unnecessary. He also told me he knows someone who can supply a heat-seeking rocket-launcher, but it would cost me. I don't know if I'm ready for that - on humanitarian grounds.
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Reading the replies, we are thankfully becoming more informed. However, we have, without really thinking it through, installed an electrified chicken fence in an effort to protect the stock. The problem is that the only energizer we have is 'cattle strength' and we are coming to understand that this may transgress welsh assembly or possibly other regulations, as a fox may receive a shock of circa 8000v on a wet nose, which would be difficult to justify with the animal rights people. Can anyone can point us in the right direction as to what voltage if any is appropriate (and/or legal) for the purpose.
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i don't know about legal but 8000v is about what a mains charger suited for horses puts through a solid wire, it hurts, you get over it, mr fox will get the message!!!
if i ever have to electrify a chook pen (im lucky i dont currently) its about what id use as it has the advantage of burning off grass etc that touches the wire rather than shorting out...
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I lost 4 to the fox a couple of weeks ago. First one was at 4am under my nose - I was up dealing with a sick mare and foal at the time, in pjs and boots. I chased himup the field hoping he'd be put off by the mains electric march fence given the bluebelle in his jaws, but he got over/through somehow, ran half way up the field behind and sat there looking at me. I lost the menorcan the same day and a few yards away, it could have been any time. Buffy was taken right behind my neighbour's kitchen window sometime after 6am, and Nora, one of the original welfare trust rescues has disappeared without trace, I found feathers for the other 3 but I imagine I just haven't seen hers rather than that she's hiding somewhere with eggs, tho it would be nice.
Mine were all completely free range - I have reverted to putting them into the pen when I feed their corn in the early evening, but it isn't foxproof so I'm not sure if I'm putting them more at risk of a mass killing where free range he just takes one and the rest have time to escape, but other than those there were a further 3 broody up the barn who could have been taken and haven't so I guess he hasn't yet got up courage to enter the garden and the penning is at least keeping them from wandering up the field at dawn. It's the bolder wandering hens that have gone, not the close to home wussies like the cockerel ::)
I had a couple of other hen deaths last week, unrelated, so am feeling pretty chook hopeless and don't know if I should just give up but most of the remaining hens are at least 3-4 years old and only one is a year old prime layer so they'd be little use to anyone else and I'd miss having them let alone the little egg money I get, so I'm doing what I can and just given up restocking that was planned for this spring/summer, at least til cubs are looking after themselves and less capable/desperate than the parent fox(es).. possibly permanently, or maybe keep replacements in secure new pens if and when I can manage that..
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If I were you I would get a fox hunter to kill it, however it would have to be done correctly according to law. :)
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We found our fox shooter by asking the local farmer across the road. He made a quick phonecall and within the hour we had a really lovely man here who was quite obviously up to date on laws and very conscious of it being a humane job.
It was quick and efficient (yes, I felt a bit sick but it gets easier - never pleasant, but easier) and the numbers of foxes have reduced somewhat since a few other neighbours have called him to their holdings too.
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I know there are various legal concerns with the shooting and trapping of foxes, and rightly so, but when it comes to keeping them out with an electric shock I would have no worries about it being too strong!!!
I lost one hen last week and two others still suffering shock. I think your best options are better protection for your girls and/or someone who knows what they are doing with a trap and a gun I should think. Good luck
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applying for your shotgun licence and shooting the foxes your self is a better method and isn't that expensive really
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This has been something of a journey for me, it really has. As a farmer who has recently embarked on a small chicken enterprise, I started off hating and wanting to kill the fox, but I have now come round to a much more circumspect view. How can those of us who are keeping poultry captive for purely commercial, personal or (dare I say) selfish reasons, expect the natural predator, Mr Fox, to fall into line with humans and not try to provide any available fowl as food for their babies. We interfere with the natural order at our peril. Perhaps the real problem is not the fox but with those of us who try alternatives to buying poultry and eggs from the supermarket - where I'm told they are produced in a totally controlled and fox-free environment. The solution may not rest with the trap, poison or gun. I guess, we must try to be more understanding and accept the odd loss, while trying to protect our stock as best we can.
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Yes... However if a fox has a taste for chicken you have to get rid of or it'll teach its young to eat chickens.
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I was wondering how effective a paint ball gun would be? You could decorate the fox in all manner of different patterns and colours without falling foul of humane laws. Perhaps once the fox has been painted it would be less likely to return.
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I was wondering how effective a paint ball gun would be? You could decorate the fox in all manner of different patterns and colours without falling foul of humane laws. Perhaps once the fox has been painted it would be less likely to return.
:love: love this idea!!!!!!!!! but would the fox have to wear those full face helmets to comply with health and safety laws?
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You need to go to war on these foxes 2.2 bullit 2 miles kill SK week them and kill them.