[rowlandwells]

i know foxes are a real problem to poultry keepers and of-cause  farmers will be getting concerned as it gets near lambing time but nowadays farmers tend to either keep the flock near the farm or in lambing sheds

its difficult to put an answer to this topic i suppose one should try to make there chicken runs safe or fox proof as possible obviously foxes are more daring to seek food as food becomes in short supply i seen quite a large fox the other night when driving home the fox had a pheasant in its mouth
and unbeliever's to the oncoming traffic i have seen a fox on numerous occasion at the brewery where i work around six-o-clock every morning the fox walked past me on the  pathway only separated by a metal fence unperturbed of both my colleague and i talking 
 
being a country boy foxes have always been part of our country life although nature does seem to be cruel sometimes and no one likes to see any animal killed just for the sake of it so keep foxy at bay and be vigilant

[Matisse]

Not sure if this is true, but notlong ago I read in the Guardian newspapers that 'Curry powder ' works wonders to deter fox, they apparently dont like the smell!     I certainly will try it!. Also, another colleague suggested to buy: Lion poo! He said they sell  it in Zoos, and 'any' cat, dog or similar will be scare of going nearby. (Amazon sales 'Silent Roar Lion Manure' which apparently works too).

Just somethings interesting to consider. one of the farmers nearby had problems with Foxes in the past 2 months, and I've been worried about my chickens (they are free range) and locking them at night... I'll try the curry powder and hope for the best...

M

[John]

Good luck with the curry powder - however, I'll trust to weldmesh and locking Mr Fox out. If the curry powder doesn't work it's a horrible way to find out.

[hillfooter]

Good luck with the curry powder - however, I'll trust to weldmesh and locking Mr Fox out. If the curry powder doesn't work it's a horrible way to find out.

I must say I'm very sceptical too.  If it were this simple we'd all have heard about.  The only thing I've found curry powder works well for is the Friday night chicken vindaloo
HF

[evie2]

Llamas, foxes don't like their smell, apparently 

[hillfooter]

Llamas, foxes don't like their smell, apparently 

So Llama curry really should do the business then
HF

[John]

Llamas, foxes don't like their smell, apparently 

So Llama curry really should do the business then
HF

You've a dry sense of humour

As I understand it, llamas attack the fox although I've only heard of them being kept with sheep as sort of guard dogs.

Seriously now, we're all looking for easy solutions but the fact is that the most reliable way to keep foxes off is to securely fence them out. If you want to rely on some hearsay report that XYZ will deter them, then that's your choice but it's too late to find something doesn't work when you're facing a dead flock.

People used to say bags of human hair or male peeing around the boundary kept them off - well urban foxes are no longer scared of people and those people who transport urban foxes to the countryside mean that country foxes are getting braver.

Incidentally, I think releasing urban foxes into the countryside is pretty cruel to the fox -  They haven't a clue how to survive and are condemned to a lingering starving death. 

[penninehillbilly]

Incidentally, I think releasing urban foxes into the countryside is pretty cruel to the fox -  They haven't a clue how to survive and are condemned to a lingering starving death.  

so how do we get this message across the 'animal lovers' john? 
they are probably the same ones who kindly released murdering mink to slaughter our pets,  at least round here foxes are only usually about at night, the mink almost wiped my ducks out during the day.

[hillfooter]

Well I tried the local Star of India and they were unable to help with recycled Llama Curry  seems it wasn't a hit with the customers and they kept spitting it out.  However they did suggest Ostrich Curry which is supposed to carry quite a kick.

I had more success with the local hunt who said that hunting with Llamas was possibly a loophole they could exploit.  However they were less confident about Ostrich as they thought it would be easier to carry hawks on their arms.

Misguided animal lovers could readily be kept in check by hunting with man eating tigers.

HF

[John]

so how do we get this message across the 'animal lovers' john? 
they are probably the same ones who kindly released murdering mink to slaughter our pets,  at least round here foxes are only usually about at night, the mink almost wiped my ducks out during the day.

I'm afraid those who released the mink from the cruelty of man were completely oblivious to their own cruelty to the eco-system and caused more harm to more animals than any fur farmer. The sad thing is they could have done so much good with those energies explaining about battery farming to the public.

As for the urban fox rescuers - I applaud their intentions but think they're misguided. I think the answer is to look at sterilising the females - I think they can do it quite easily with drugs nowadays - although I may be wrong.

As for country foxes, well they have their place in the eco-system too. It's our responsibility to protect our livestock and pets. After all, we don't cull potential burglars, we lock our doors. Hope I'm making sense here.

[compostqueen]

Fox attacks have been stepped up round me and I was talking to a chap yesterday that lost 15 in one go. He said the fox had buried the bodies of his hens. My friend has lost six and she said she never heard a sound 

[Thrift]

As for the urban fox rescuers - I applaud their intentions but think they're misguided. I think the answer is to look at sterilising the females - I think they can do it quite easily with drugs nowadays - although I may be wrong.

I have often thought that might be possible in control of rats or rabbits. Surely in this advanced age it would be relatively easy to make them infertile.

[Paul Plots]

so how do we get this message across the 'animal lovers' john? 
they are probably the same ones who kindly released murdering mink to slaughter our pets,  at least round here foxes are only usually about at night, the mink almost wiped my ducks out during the day.

I'm afraid those who released the mink from the cruelty of man were completely oblivious to their own cruelty to the eco-system and caused more harm to more animals than any fur farmer. The sad thing is they could have done so much good with those energies explaining about battery farming to the public.

As for the urban fox rescuers - I applaud their intentions but think they're misguided. I think the answer is to look at sterilising the females - I think they can do it quite easily with drugs nowadays - although I may be wrong.

As for country foxes, well they have their place in the eco-system too. It's our responsibility to protect our livestock and pets. After all, we don't cull potential burglars, we lock our doors. Hope I'm making sense here.

Cull burglars.... now there's a thought but I seem to remember the chap who tried it got into dreadful trouble. In the good old USA things may be different. I'm not sure I'd want to move though. 

[penninehillbilly]

As for country foxes, well they have their place in the eco-system too. It's our responsibility to protect our livestock and pets. After all, we don't cull potential burglars, we lock our doors. Hope I'm making sense here.

I would agree regarding rural foxes, one was about the other night as I walked the dog, as long as everyone's shut in it's a concern but not TOO worrying.
However regarding culling burglars, now that would be tempting :blink:

[Paul Plots]

I would agree regarding rural foxes, one was about the other night as I walked the dog, as long as everyone's shut in it's a concern but not TOO worrying.

However regarding culling burglars, now that would be tempting :blink:

What a shame foxes can't be trained to go after them!