And the day just gets better ... don't let me near any antis right now

[skewbaldpony]

Daughter just went out to catch pony, found fox in broad daylight with one of my chickens in its mouth on the lane!!
At least six more and my beloved cockerel dead.

 

[BBH]

Aw thats awful. I foiled a fox on thursday stalking two wild ducks, I shouted the horses spooked and the fox scarpered.

 

[WishfulThinker]

Do they go over or under the fence? Could you put that stuff that they use for pigeons on the fence - its like a wire with 6 inch metal rods coming out of it.

 

[Aru]

its a fox they are predators what did you expect??
if the chickens are acessiable wild animals will try to hunt them...they have to eat to

 

[somethingorother]

Aru, agreed. It's your job to keep the chickens and cockerels safe. You can't just expect foxes to stay away, it's what they do...

Sorry that you lost some of them, maybe build a big run for them?

 

[BBH]

I think you'll find the OP is fully aware that foxes kill to eat and her chickens are her responsibility, she just wants a bit of empathy for her day, please cut some slack.

 

[somethingorother]

I did say sorry that she lost some of them, i understand it's upsetting and i honestly do feel sorry for the_skewbald. I hope a way is found to prevent it happening again. And you cant just sit there with a gun 24hours a day.

 

[skewbaldpony]

B8llocks.
Killed at least 6 and didn't eat one.
My chickens range over farmland, with houses and populated barns on the land, there are acres and acres of land full of rabbits and goodness knows what else for them to eat, they kill the chickens for the hell of it.
The fox's natural predator has had his hands tied by a stupid law.
I don't happen to think 'a big pen' is any kind of a life for a chicken. I never minded taking the rough with the smooth when things were a bit more evenly weighted.
I used to disapprove of shooting foxes, but have now phoned the gamekeeper to let him know what's happened, no doubt he'll deal with it his way.

 

[billyslad]

Cn you phone the Hunt and see if they can help , its this side of things that the antis never see

 

[Haniki]

Sorry to hear about your chickens Skewbald. My chickens used to be in a fenced pen, inside a fenced garden and at night they were shut in a proper hen house. We still had some killed by a badger who had chewed through 2 lots of wire fencing and wood panelling.

 

[Aru]

i ament anti hunting or shooting foxs i agree there pests

i was just making a point that a predator like a fox will kill chickens just like a cat will kill mice...if you had a pet mouse you wouldnt let him run loose around because there is a possibility that a cat would kill him....
same with chickens keep them safe and they will stay alive if there running loose then u have to take into account the fact that foxs,some hawks, stray dogs and even feral cats will kill them....and in fairness the by the sound of things that fox was bring one home for dinner..it is theyre cubbing season now so they are more likely to be out for an easy meal

i am sorry you lost your chucks tho its always sad to see the carnage a fox can do...it would be easier to feel sorry for them if they just took one

 

[billyslad]

Badgers eat worms dont they not chickens

 

[skewbaldpony]

no, they'll have chickens, sometimes.

 

[Aru]

Badgers will get almost anything there omnivores but even tho earthworms are a large proportion of their diet they will also prey on small mammels like hedgehogs and rabbits so a chicken that cant fly away would be an easy meal
theres an inteasting research site on them if anyones intreasted
http://www.badgerecology.org/BEdiet.htm

 

[Dobby]

"What kind of life for a chicken in a big pen?"

What kind of life for a fox that can't eat?

 

[algy666]

They don't always eat them, though! A fox came into our garden and decapitated my pet rabbit ... and just left it. They're vermin.

 

[Fizzimyst]

[ QUOTE ]
i ament anti hunting or shooting foxs i agree there pests

i was just making a point that a predator like a fox will kill chickens just like a cat will kill mice...if you had a pet mouse you wouldnt let him run loose around because there is a possibility that a cat would kill him....
same with chickens keep them safe and they will stay alive if there running loose then u have to take into account the fact that foxs,some hawks, stray dogs and even feral cats will kill them....and in fairness the by the sound of things that fox was bring one home for dinner..it is theyre cubbing season now so they are more likely to be out for an easy meal

i am sorry you lost your chucks tho its always sad to see the carnage a fox can do...it would be easier to feel sorry for them if they just took one

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I'd let my mice out with this cat

 

[Haniki]

'i ament anti hunting or shooting foxs i agree there pests'??

Sorry, I don't know what this says.

Badgers are indeed omnivorous. That is one reason why vets are worried about their role in the spreading of TB. Apparently they are partial to maize silage and will climb up into cattle troughs to eat this during the winter. So much for Defra advising farmers to keep badgers and cattle separate, easier said than done.

 

[Hanz]

[ QUOTE ]
"What kind of life for a chicken in a big pen?"

What kind of life for a fox that can't eat?

[/ QUOTE ]

They can eat any wild animal they like, but instead it chose to rip up several of OP's chickens for fun then take just one...

 

[Fizzimyst]

[ QUOTE ]
'i ament anti hunting or shooting foxs i agree there pests'??

Sorry, I don't know what this says.

Badgers are indeed omnivorous. That is one reason why vets are worried about their role in the spreading of TB. Apparently they are partial to maize silage and will climb up into cattle troughs to eat this during the winter. So much for Defra advising farmers to keep badgers and cattle separate, easier said than done.

[/ QUOTE ]

I assume this was for Aru and not me Haniki?

 

[Eriskayowner]

[ QUOTE ]
its a fox they are predators what did you expect??
if the chickens are acessiable wild animals will try to hunt them...they have to eat to

[/ QUOTE ]

Killing and eating one-fine but foxes are pests-they kill everything in their sight and don't eat all of their kill. Wasteful horrible animals.

OP-I'm really sorry for your loss-I lost some pet rabbits when I was younger so I know how you feel x

 

[ladyt25]

In the fox's defence it kills because that is it it's nature to do - it doesn't differentiate between humans 'pet' chickens, a pheasant or a rabbit. It is going to however take whatever food is the easiest for it to get and if that's chickens then that's what it's going to do.

Cats kill numerous birds and mice everyday and don't eat them, the fox, in my opinion is doing no different - oh well apart from it doesn't also get food delivered to it on a plate, it actually needs to kill ad eat to survive.

Of course I'd be upset too if any of my animals were taken by a fox or any other predator but, unless I have implemented adequate defences/deterrents then there isn't an awful lot i can do. If I put my chickens our land I am sure the fox would just be like "wahey - easy food!"

 

[Clodagh]

So sorry about your poor chooks.

 

[skewbaldpony]

[ QUOTE ]


Of course I'd be upset too if any of my animals were taken by a fox or any other predator but, unless I have implemented adequate defences/deterrents then there isn't an awful lot i can do. If I put my chickens our land I am sure the fox would just be like "wahey - easy food!"

[/ QUOTE ]

but until the ban, having them free ranging around a house, with people around, and a barn, with tractors and horses and so on coming and going WAS an adequate defence, as long as you shut them up at night!
It's only since they feel they have no predators that they stroll up in the middle of the day and massacre a dozen or so chickens (NOT eaten, by the way) and frighten the others half to death.
Foxes are vermin, hunting was their best hope of anyone really wanting to keep any of them alive. The gamekeepers round here now are not bothered, they would wipe the lot out if they could.
Actually, I'm a bit of a soft touch, wildlife wise, and if they did take a chook now and again for food, I'd probably write that down to living in harmony with nature. heaven knows, I share my veg garden with enough fluffy feathered and slimy things without too much complaint. That's not what this kind of carnage is, though.

 

[CorvusCorax]

QR I've seen what badgers can do in a pheasant pen, it was carnage also.

 

[somethingorother]

I reckon foxes kill so much because they just get so frantic and excited, and yes it is fun. People hunt for fun and dont eat any of it sometimes, what's the difference? If you built a big chicken run for them to in during the day the chickens wouldnt know the difference, they dont fly so a big patch of grass for them to roam around in would be the same fence above their heads or not. And i'm sure it's a better life than being eaten by a fox or scared half to death. I understand you being angry and upset, but u can do something about it and you know it, and if you're willing to let more chickens die out of stubbornness then that's on your conscience not the fox's. Yes so you informed the games keeper, he might shoot the odd one or set some nasty traps. There plenty out there and he'l barely make an impact on them, so theyl still kill the chickens if you leave them out there to die and they would if hunting wasnt banned. Chickens are a human raised and bred animal, they wouldnt last 2 minutes in the wild, so if you dont want them to die then keep them safe.

Foxes are clever but not that clever. They dont think 'ohh ive got no preditors' and have a party because a bunch of people and dogs and horses dont chase the odd one every so often (even though quite frankly i think everyone here knows they still do). They are animals, with instincts, which rule them. There is no way in hell they are going to be allowed to become instinct, so you might as well adjust to them because they're here and they're going to be here for a long time.

 

[skewbaldpony]

Thank you for that ill informed and mis spelled lecture.

It hasn't altered my opinion one whit, though I have been known to see another point of view when talking to someone intelligent.

 

[skewbaldpony]

By the way, if you are a vegetarian (and if you aren't then you really are a laughing stock) do you suppose that your food reaches you without any other potential 'consumers' being killed?

Go back to la la land.

 

[Aru]

Haniki ,i ment that i am not anti hunting and that i dont have an issue with shooting a fox that is a pest sorry about my horrific spelling!
Fizzymyst those pics are so cool!!!but that is one odd cat!

but skewbald your chickens are at risk because they are running loose, not because the fox knows that noone is going to chase him on a horse and a pack of dogs...im surprised you have never had a problem with fox's before now...
theres no ban on hunting where im living and we still have a problem with foxs killing chickens..

and

[ QUOTE ]
Thank you for that ill informed and mis spelled lecture.

It hasn't altered my opinion one whit, though I have been known to see another point of view when talking to someone intelligent.

[/ QUOTE ]

For the record not being able to spell does not mean someone isnt intelligent...fair enuf if you didnt like somethingorothers points but that comment was unnessesary...

 

[skewbaldpony]

That's as may be. However, if you are going to lecture someone on chicken keeping, and defend the position of a verminous destructive animal, it might be best to use a spell checker.
Otherwise, bad tempered old women like myself, who tend to take people more seriously if they spell and punctuate correctly, are apt to take no notice of you whatsoever.

[ QUOTE ]
I understand you being angry and upset, but u can do something about it and you know it, and if you're willing to let more chickens die out of stubbornness then that's on your conscience not the fox's.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is rude and ill informed. I am entitled to my opinion on the control of vermin, and the keeping of free range poultry, just as the OP is entitled to hers - however if the OP wishes to put her point in this rude and aggressive way, then I am equally entitled to express my response as I see fit.