The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: Bionic on November 07, 2016, 09:01:58 am
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I love the look of foxes but don't want them on my land near my chickens and ducks.
This morning when walking the dog we came across a fox well and truly stuck on a wire fence. No matter how much it struggled to get away it couldn't.
As much as I don't want the foxes here I also couldn't stand the thought of it being stuck with the wire getting more and more twisted.
We don't have a gun here so I have just rung the local hunt. Unfortunately the hunt master is at the mart this morning but his wife is going to try to find someone else to help.
What would you have done?
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The same. Although I do not like them they do have a job to do and as with any animal I dont like to see them suffer. You did the right thing by doing that and they will be able to deal with the matter appropriately. The most important thing is not to try and free it yourself, foxes can be very dangerous and especially in pain. Well done for doing the correct thing :thumbsup:
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I had a similar situation a few years ago. Although i do everything i can to keep my chickens safe i dont like to see an animal suffering. Fortunately i was able to put it out of its misery straight away
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Personally i would have thrown a thick towel over it and cut it free and then let it go; but then I've handled and fixed up plenty of foxes in my time.
Fox is doing what foxes do.. if you want to keep your stock secure then secure them and let fox eat something else like keep your worms and slugs and rats down....Oh and emptied your bin all over the drive.
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I had a fox last year get tangled up in my electric poultry fence that runs around the coop. Thankfully for the fox it wasn't switched on, then again I suppose it wouldn't have got itself tangled in the first place if it was on. It was tangled up so bad there was no way I was untangling it alive, not that I would have anyway as it was only there with one thing in mind, so it was swiftly dispatched.
They are beautiful animals but they just don't mix well with chickens and ducks as you say Bionic. You did the right thing.
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I wouldn't walk past any animal in distress and leave it to nature. Picked up a buzzard in May - I'd have put it down but wasn't sure of the legality so drove it home and called sspca.
I have a gun, but otherwise would have done the same- call someone to dispatch.
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I would also have done the same thing.
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Some time back, we found a fox trapped in one of those noose type traps, set by a gamekeeper. He clearly hadn't checked his traps for too long as the caught fox had clearly been there a long time, held right around his body, squeezing tighter all the time. OH released it and it bit through his finger in thanks, but then tottered off with a backwards smile.
We would never leave an animal in distress like that anywhere. That incident happened to be well away from here. Here, that's what guns are for.