[jameslindsay]

My hens, ducks and geese are all totally free range too MM and keeping them in a run all day, every day doesn't appeal to me so I know the risk involved by letting them roam. Luckily we have suffered very few losses over the years but any loss is 1 too many. The ducks and geese love their life on the river and don't really know what life is like to be cooped up.

[jameslindsay]

This is the life my ducks enjoy, the tide is well out in this picture but they have just as much fun. They couldn't have a better quality of life. Normally they have the company of wild ducks, swans, heron and even the seals are making a lot of appearances these days.

[Wizard]

NFD Admitted You do just have to put a little effort in to it.He doesn't usually send you a card saying when he is next going to pay you a visit

[northfifeduckling]

wee, hair and a lot of human presence has done it for us so far, fingers crossed. I hope we are also lucky because all the neighbours have large dogs and there is a lot of wildlife around us where the foxed keep the abundant bunnies down which so far have in turn left my veg plot alone...seen a stoat recently, not so good 

[Hardfeather]

An old boiler suit scarecrow, wired to a fence as if seated keeps them away. You can use a ballon for the head for some movement.

[MiriMaran]

The fox made another kill as we were no more than 15 metres away.  I scared it off, but it didn't run until I was almost within touching distance.  It dropped the hen behind the hen shed.  I have now put the hen in the fox trap and put the trap behind the hen shed where the fox left the hen.  All hens are now kept in although our enclosures are not really big enough to house so many hens so it is only a tempoary solution.  I'm hoping that the fox will get desperate by the lack of hens and go into the trap.  It has nibbled the tail feathers through the bars, but as yet has not gone in.  Am now thinking that we should put food at entrance to trap to get the fox braver at going near trap and then slowly put food further and further into the trap until bingo!!  What do you reckon?

[jameslindsay]

That's a bugger MM, you are not having much luck these days. As much as we have what we thought was adequate protection over the last few or so the damned fox has been seen several times very near to and on my land. Yesterday morning I went out and found a headless baby rabbit lying near our front door and this afternoon a customer was walking over the footbridge when he saw the bugger run along the side of the river and our land with something in its mouth. All my livestock was quickly checked and there was nothing missing but the swine is out there and close these days!

The customer that did tell me the story said he was my goose collecting the 2 goslings and ushering them quickly out on to the river with his wings fully spread and hissing like hissing Sid. He said it was amazing and funny to watch. Lets home neither of us have any more losses.

[MiriMaran]

I am certain that if I let my hens out we will have more losses, but hate seeing them cooped up all day.

[jameslindsay]

Lets hope you tempt him in to the trap then. Ofcourse once you get rid of 1 I dare say it is only time till another comes along. I hate everything about the damned FOX!

[MiriMaran]

Well I'm guessing its partner would get bolder and more desperate. Boo Hiss

[CameronS]

hmmmmm, I'm not liking this Fox malarkey either, never had a problem till about a week ago, when they started lingering around. Thankfully no losses yet, but the foxes are getting bolder day by day. gonna have to get the gun out 

Good view from my bedroom window   

[Wizard]

I keep telling you the only good ones are dead ones or on pictures of hunting scenes

[sheila]

Isn't it terrible news about the twin babies  in Essex that foxes have had a go at? It just goes to show that it's not only country folk who are affected.

[whitby_sam]

Well maybe a shocking story like that will open the doors for the ban to be revoked! Come on Cameron, sort it out!

I blame the Labour Government LOL!

[Hardfeather]

I don't think the ban will ever be revoked, much as I would like to see it.

There are too many bunny-huggers out there who put vermin before people.

Take the example of the hedgehog cull in the utter hebrides. The hedgehogs are a damn nuisance and lay waste to groundnesting bird species, yet the huggers managed to stop the cull and have the vermin relocated to the mainland instead of being humanely destroyed. As if we haven't enough of them here already. Do we not have groundnesting birds on the mainland then?

Then there's mink...foxes...buzzards...corvids...grey squirrels...and, dare I say it? badgers...