[dancingbillie]

It is very rare for a fox to take a dog, and it is a very small, elderly sick dog they usually take, same goes for cats.  If people are at home and a small dog is in the garden, I doubt very much the fox would come and take it, and to leave any dog, small, medium or large in the garden when owners aren't there is not wise as there are so many dog thefts with dogs being taken from gardens, outside of shops, cars etc, and the numbers are increasing daily.  The thieves don't care if it is a pure breed, mongrel, old, young.

[ANHBUC]

It is very rare for a fox to take a dog, and it is a very small, elderly sick dog they usually take, same goes for cats.  If people are at home and a small dog is in the garden, I doubt very much the fox would come and take it, and to leave any dog, small, medium or large in the garden when owners aren't there is not wise as there are so many dog thefts with dogs being taken from gardens, outside of shops, cars etc, and the numbers are increasing daily.  The thieves don't care if it is a pure breed, mongrel, old, young.

It may be rare but some are not scared of humans any more.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1346866/Fox-came-cat-flap-bit-finger-says-ambulance-driver-Tammy-Page.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284505/Baby-twins-Isabella-Lola-Koupparis-seriously-injured-fox-attack.html
 

[dancingbillie]

Foxes belong in the countryside, but unfortunately people have been luring them into urban areas by feeding them and thinking it is cute to have a fox and her cubs under their sheds in the garden.  Foxes are opportunists and very intelligent.
There is food waste outside of restaurants and fast food places and burger vans.  If a fox, or any wild animal feels threatened, it will either fight or flee, depending which is easiest.  (that includes if it's source of food is threatened! i.e. dog/cat food in the kitchen, etc.)
If there is no available food source, the foxes will leave the area and go elsewhere to look for food.
At the moment vixens have their cubs that need feeding and if scavenging isn't bringing enough food for them, they will take what they can.
They are wild animals that should be treated as such.  I know too many people who are really chuffed that they see foxes in towns and cities, and even try to tame them by feeding them and bringing the food bowl nearer and nearer to their door "so they can stroke them."!!!!  Foxes in towns and cities should be eliminated (I can't believe I just wrote that!!!), but as long as you have idiots who dispose of their fish and chips/hamburger  leftovers etc, foxes will keep coming.
You never get an "overload" of foxes in the countryside because they only whelp and rear according to the area that is available to them, but there are farmers and land owners who actually breed foxes for the hunt.  (yes, it is supposed to be illegal these days, but go tell that to the riders and the packs!)

[ANHBUC]

As you say people must be feeding them as we now have wheelie bins so they can't scavenge from them like they did with the old style bins.

Years ago my daughter saw our cat jump back over our fence from a neighbours garden.  Followed by a fox which then jumped over our back fence when it saw her.  This was in the middle of the day so they are too bold for my liking and agree that they should be controlled in residential areas.  Our cat is now very elderly so she can't jump up on a low wall let alone clear a fence.  It is a worry as she is also deaf and if they get really hungry she will be easy prey for them.   

[Mrs Bee]

Foxes belong in the countryside, but unfortunately people have been luring them into urban areas by feeding them and thinking it is cute to have a fox and her cubs under their sheds in the garden.  Foxes are opportunists and very intelligent.
There is food waste outside of restaurants and fast food places and burger vans.  If a fox, or any wild animal feels threatened, it will either fight or flee, depending which is easiest.  (that includes if it's source of food is threatened! i.e. dog/cat food in the kitchen, etc.)
If there is no available food source, the foxes will leave the area and go elsewhere to look for food.
At the moment vixens have their cubs that need feeding and if scavenging isn't bringing enough food for them, they will take what they can.
They are wild animals that should be treated as such.  I know too many people who are really chuffed that they see foxes in towns and cities, and even try to tame them by feeding them and bringing the food bowl nearer and nearer to their door "so they can stroke them."!!!!  Foxes in towns and cities should be eliminated (I can't believe I just wrote that!!!), but as long as you have idiots who dispose of their fish and chips/hamburger  leftovers etc, foxes will keep coming.
You never get an "overload" of foxes in the countryside because they only whelp and rear according to the area that is available to them, but there are farmers and land owners who actually breed foxes for the hunt.  (yes, it is supposed to be illegal these days, but go tell that to the riders and the packs!)

Totally agree with the sentiment. They are too bold and fearless and too many. One helped themselves to a friends guinea pig while they were eating Sunday lunch. Dug under the hutch, turned it over and bye bye Guinea pig. She was devasted.

I wholeheartedly agree with the  comment referring to keeping dogs in a fox proof enclosure too. I feel very resentful that I can't let me girls free range because of these pests, If it were  a snarling dog trespassing in the garden we could get someone out to deal with that!

Was talking to a game dealer at a farmers market a while back and he says that foxes in the country are actually quite rare as if there are any people go out in the landie, lamp them and shoot them.

Really had to keep my temper recently I was serving on a hog roast and someone was going to take the bones to feed the foxes I did politely mention that it wasn't a good idea to feed them and made sure I didn't leave any meat on the bones.

[Springlands]

We lost one of our hens to a fox yesterday morning - OH had locked them up the previous evening but forgot to count them all to make sure they were safe inside the coop. He feels really bad about it certainly made sure that he did a double check last night - he even tried to put the hens away early but they were having none of that.

[Thrift]

Oh dear Springlands    I bet he feels really guilty.

Luckily only one and the reminder we all need from time to time to remain vigilant.

[Springlands]

Hi Thrift - yes he does feel guilty about it. Normally it is me who locks up the hens and ducks and I always count them - not easy as we have one very small  hen who sleeps under the wings of a big one and all you can see is a little head peeking out. So last night we put them away together just so we could double count.

[ANHBUC]

Sad to hear that you have lost one of your girls Springlands.     

It is really hard to count them sometimes as you have said they do like to cuddle up.

[mummyeagle]

recently seen a red kite hovering over me and chickens in garden. has happened twice and it looked like it was interested in our chooks. we waved arms about and it flew off slowly. also several sightings of sparrowhawks. does anyone know if red kites would be able to take a chicken-i know they can take a rabbit. bad enough that have to watch out for the fox without checking the sky as well!

[Jomtie]

We are currently constructing a bigger run for our 4 girls. We have had them for 3 weeks and they have free range in the garden but only when we are out there with them. Their current run (that came with the coop) is only about 7 x 3 feet so hubby is building one in a shady spot at the top of the garden that is 10 x 8 feet. He has dug down around the entire perimeter to a depth of 10 inches and laid a course of concrete blocks. He has then built the framework for the run on top of these and screwed it to the blocks. We are using 25mm square 19g mesh which is stapled and then sandwiched between battons. We plan to slab around the outside of the perimeter too. It is 6 feet high and will have a corrugated plastic roof.  Is there anything else that we need to do to prevent a fox attack?

[nerdle]

Sounds like chukky Fort Knox to me.  I'm not certain of the strength of the mesh you mention but a pest controller could advise.

I don't think is essential to dig down to keep foxy out - an Eglu style apron of mesh on the ground around the outside will do. 

t-mjxderHVQ

[Jomtie]

Thanks so much for your reply. The weld mesh is the gauge recommended on several websites as able to keep out foxes. Sadly, we didn't realise we needed even smaller mesh to keep out rats. We thought 25mm would be too small for a rat to get through, so back to the drawing board. Can't afford to replace it all now. Our weak spot is the back of the run where it is against a fence. There is gravel board at the base of the panels but our neighbour at the back has a row of Leylandii along the fence on his side and the roots are making it impossible to dig down to put the blocks in. I think an apron of weld mesh along there is the best option. Thanks for the suggestion. We've only had our girls for 3 weeks but they have so much personality and are already part of the family. I would be devastated if we lost any, especially to a fox. We have been rewarded with our very first egg this morning!! I would never have believed how excited we would all be!!   

[nerdle]

That first egg is always a thrill - congratulations! There ought to be a 'first egg' section on this site.

A pest controller told me if its clean with no food left out at night there should be no problems with rats.  I'm sure others will know better on that one though. Might get mine a treadle feeder so she can breakfast at 6am when I'm asleep.

So glad you are doing the right thing (foxproofing)- so much trauma going on because of fox attacks and Mr Fox usually gets the blame.

[ryan]

went out this morning to be greeted by a chicken thought it was strange as i allways check its secure, went to inspect and found the door closed feathers everywhere, three of them with no heads and two carrying on as normal cant find any holes dug and dont have a clue as to how the fox got in or how the other one got out.