Foxes. Love or hate?

Jiffy, we have no foxes here on the island, but we have birds of prey and others like crows, rooks and jackdaws that make a good job of tidying up.

 

When I read a thread like this I usually think to myself how lucky farmers and people who keep livestock are in this country.
Over the centuries we have wiped out most of the predators that used to roam wild in this country, and we are just left with the few that have managed to survive by scavenging.

 

I like foxes they belong here and are part of our wildlife in the UK, Mink on the other hand are a real nuisance but that's our fault yet again !.

Can be smelly foxes I remember my dogs used to roll on the grass where they had been.

Spruce

 

On the whole most of our carnivores are happy enough with carrion (if we exclude birds and rodents from the kill list).
But then we have the well intentioned souls who liberated American mink from mink farms (a gross business model I have to agree) who have introduced a predator to areas of Britain. In fairness to the American Mink though it usually takes what it needs, unlike the stoat which can go into a killing frenzy in a hen house.

 

I've never understood why its impossible to build a hen house that is safe from predators?

 

Pete you are so correct I was going to say the same thing

Longk , stoats are just opportunist and make the most of what they have its in there nature , normally they would bury what they cant eat I suppose its difficult getting a whole chicken out from chicken coop through a fire fence

Spruce

 

Nothing is impossible!

But you've built the chicken run with good wire - the stoat (or rat) decides to tunnel it's way in. No probs because you've also excavated the chicken run, laid chicken wire and refilled. The stoat (or rat) says "stuff you" and chews through the wire! As I say it's not impossible, but that's what you're up against!

If a fox gets in that's usually down to human stupidity! Like me at ten years old when I didn't bolt the gate properly

 

The day run might be different, but the nightime when I believe most problems occur seems to me to be a matter of paying attention to what is going on.
I lost a lot of fish in my pond this year to a heron.

It was down to me, I had not taken adequate precautions due to complacency, it was not the herons fault, it was not the fishes fault.
I was supposed to be looking after them.

I dont want to go out and shoot every heron on sight.

I just need to look after my fish better.

 

The ideal would be a metal henhouse, but imagine what that would do for the birds sanity when it rains, or their health if we ever get a warm summer again.
Gramps took the view that sooner or later they would get in which is why he had three hen houses (he kept at least 80 odd at any one time).

Are we talking expensive fish? That would upset me!

 

We are not talking expensive fish, it was fish, a life, that upset me, bearing in mind it was my fault.

 

Im the same as loli,I feed the foxes... and stray/wondering cats whichever gets to it 1st, in daylight hrs then the starlings pinch it all my scraps go out at the back door,i couldnt bear to waste any amount of meat when i know animals are hungry.
Neighbours with chickens have never reported having a problem with foxes here either which is great Ive had 4 fish vanish last yr which is prob down to the local heron but like pete said..thats my fault for no protecting them
Houses are built on their terrain,we take their natural hunting ground and make more ponds,give and take i say

 

We have wallabies in Derbyshire too. I think they escaped from somewhere several years ago, and there's now quite a few. Only in the wilds though.

 

Hi rosa where in derbyshire? im not that far from you,its pretty rural here il have to google sightings

 

I lost all my fish to a heron too. But yes, it's just nature. I might try putting some netting just under the surface when I get some more in the spring.

 

I know that they're in the Peak District, but I'm not sure where.