The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Kitchen Cottage on January 26, 2015, 06:50:11 am
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My local farmer keeps telling me to get one to stop fox attacks.... We had a mature active fox last year (Vlarg) who got too big for his own boots and was shot. Since then we've been fox free but this week two have been taken by the fox IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. The new foxes (and I'm sure it's two) seem immature and very thin.
My problem is, having the fox shot involves dealing with "Dave the Lamp".... 10 minutes with this man and you can feel the lifeblood seeping through your pours. I did my duty last time (he likes someone to sit up with him) but Princess Nym (who posts on here) just CAN'T bring herself to do it.
I have a fox trap coming next weekend and until them the chooks stay in but long term... would Goosy Gander see him orf? I've not kept geese before as you can probably tell!
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I have had a two geese taken by foxes, one a huge gander. On the second occasion the fox even managed to break into the goose hut and drag one out. It made a right mess of another, but luckily she survived. Personally, I don't think geese are much good as fox deterrents.
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We've had geese taken by a fox in the past when we only had a few. Our group of 14 Embdens seem to be able to look after themselves OK but they don't keep foxes away from anything else. We' lost a lot of chickens and ducks last year despite the geese being close by. I used to think that the pigs would deter foxes too but that has been proved untrue.
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Goose is a fox's favourite food! Even a big gander is no match for a fox :( I would sit with your fox shooter by the hour to keep my poultry (and lambs) safe.
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My pair were taken by the fox too. You wonder how foxy can get something that big over the fence and into the next field but he did. That's where OH found one goose, it was still alive but didn't make it through the night. Very distressing
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Really.... Dave the lamp is too much to ask! I've got a fox trap coming at the weekend... I've seen two foxes snooping around, so it isn't an established territory. One Chicken was taken Saturday at 1pm but it is possible the fox didn't know there were people around as usually there aren't and the chooks still roam... They are all in Stalag henhouse this week....
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Is Dave the Lamp really your only option?
What about Jim the torch from the next village over? :innocent:
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Its one of these beasties you need. :excited:
a Rhea
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Rhea_americana_-_Three_adult_birds.jpg/640px-Rhea_americana_-_Three_adult_birds.jpg)
(http://www.trogontours.net/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/IMG_6756_copy.24173226_large.jpg)
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or a pair of donkeys or alpacas :)
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Electric netting (run off the mains, not battery) is fairly fox proof, plus a radio on nearby. Still need a good house for during the night though.
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A Ouessant ram will keep foxes away (and you and the children etc ::))
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Not sure if it's a coincidence or not but my horses smell seems to keep them away ,I've never had a fox out the back and heard doing a widdle keeps them away and the horses smell is stronger
Then again could be talking nonsense ,lol
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KC, send Dave the Lamp down here! I would willingly sit all night with him even if he stank like a badger and sang Sir Patrick Spens alnight!