[woodburner]

Actually Woody, given half a chance it would come back for the rest.
They kill as much as they can while they can, dead birds don't fly away, but will still be good meals for several days. It's probably why they eat the heads, an injured unconcious(sp) bird may recover but without a head, it's not.
The problem is, penned birds can't get away, and the fox doesn't know when to stop.

Pepsi, I hope your granddaughter doesn't get too upset. I don't think there's any point trying to fool her. Even if you managed to find birds that looked the same, she would probably notice the change in their personalities. I suppose you might be able to convince her that they're traumatised or something, but do you want to tell her that many lies, and more importantly do you really want her to believe them?
I was about that age when the fox got some of our chooks including my favourite, "Blue Ring" so called because that was her only distinguishing feature, apart from her being 'friendly' and always 'sitting down so we could stroke her'. *cough* and apart from her, you couldn't tell one from another. Well Dad took the ring off, and put it on another hen, I knew it wasn't her, and I said so, but after a few days I just gave up trying to convince him! I do remember the fox was mentioned, because I remember saying "Oh nooo! It didn't get Blue Ring did it?!" and being told "No." I never did realise that he'd switched the ring though, just couldn't figure out what had happened to my favourite hen. I mean, Dad's don't lie do they. . .
Losing pets is a relatively gentle way of learning about death, sort of the next step up from seeing dead animals by the side of the road, but it's never going to be nice.


Just had an idea, could you tell her it ran away?

[too many girls]

Just had an idea, could you tell her it ran away?

that's still lying, and the poor little girl will think her pets are lost and want to look for them, i think you should tell her the truth, but gently (leave out the gory bits and missing heads) or use a bit of license and colour the truth and tell her the died fron old age or illness, only you know the best way to tell her.

[woodburner]

Just had an idea, could you tell her it ran away?

that's still lying,

True, but so is telling her it died of old age or illness, and it's less of a deceit than doing the switcheroo, which pepsi is contemplating, and not as harsh as telling her it's dead, which pepsi is dreading to the point of missing seeing her granddaughter this week-end.

[too many girls]

it's always going to be hard, when i was little (about 5) it was my job to shut the chickens up, one night i forgot, ( i always forgot until someone told me to) the fox came and killed them all, my mother decided to teach me the hard way " because you didn't shut them away, the fox came and killed them" what she didn't realise was i was  too young to understand, why did the fox want them? what's killed? i didn't understand, all i knew was they were there one day and not the next, ( it was a bit like when  somebody gave me a balloon, i put in my cupboard to keep it safe from my brothers, when i went to get it a week later it was gone, i found a little rubbery bit but didn't realise it was the balloon gone down, i searched that cupboard for weeks wondering where it was) she got more chickens and i didn't shut them away and the fox got them again, sometimes the truth is the best way, but not if the child doesn't understand, i think 6 is too young to tell the truth, but this little girl knows her chickens, so she'll probably see through a lie, the truth glossed over a bit might be best.

[pepsi100]

Yay,
      1 fox caught, and now in dustbin heaven,
I ended up building a side entry trap, it seemed the best idea, I wanted it to get its whole body in and I didnt think it would happen if it was a 'straight' trap

I ended up telling my grand daughter the truth, sort of, I told her the fox needed them to feed her pups, so instead of asking, she just stole them (left out the gory bits) she got very indignant over it, she said the fox should go to prison for stealing something that isnt his, she said she doesnt like foxes now

Not sure when it came though, it werent there when I went to work, but it was there when I got home in the evening, do foxes hunt in the day time ?

Anyway, I'm going to continue to bait the trap, just to see what happens (if the amount of bags spread around are anything to go by, there are a few more hanging about

If I get enough, anyone fancy a fox 'stole' ?

[kizza]

Pics of the marauder?    ?

[poultrygeist]

I think we all know what a dead fox looks like  :?

[pepsi100]

Ive been away, but the trap caught another one while I was away (it wasnt baited either)
Michael came over and gave it the good news
Another one for the local landfill
If any one wants a picture of a dead fox, have a shufti on any road, they are there with their hedgehog mates, but bear no resemblance to the real thing
I have no gripe with hedgehogs, I like them, so dont take that the wrong way