[chooknewbie]

Hi All,

Dont want to be political and its just a question, not a point of view (not that I could be shot for having one of those I hope) so...here goes....

Has anyone noticed an increase in the amount of foxes taking their chooks since we have had a ban on hunting?

I have only been a member for a short while but reading through there seems to be quite a few people suffering with a fox problem at the moment. Just curious to see if it has gotten worse over the past couple of years? :?:

[nettynoodles1]

IMO it depends on where you live! even in my locality there is a variation. I moved fields less than 12 months ago just 3 miles away and I have lots of probs where I am now . At the old place  there were foxes nearby but they very rarely troubled me. I am slighty more built up in the new area whereas before its was all fields!!!!!!!!!! Go figure. The hunt still meets round here and cubbing will be starting soon (well couple of months) wooo hoo I have a new horse who Im hoping to take  cubbing . sorryto those folks that dont agree with it, but I do :oops:

[too many girls]

i  don't think the ban on fox hunting has increased the population of foxes, it's just with there not being so much hunting done the foxes are not getting moved on, they're becoming complacent and arrogant, sticking around to suss out the situation, i've noticed that there seems to be an increase in urban foxes, which counter acts that country foxes seek out built up areas to avoid hounds, i kept chickens before and never encountered any problems with foxes, untill now.............this fox has been in our area for 6 weeks now and so far we've not been able to shoot him (he's very clever) if he remains unshot when cubbing starts we'll ring the hunt and ask for them to draw the wood ajoining our farm, the chances are they won't kill him, but he will be moved on to another area and the experience will probably put him off coming back, i don't want to turn this forum into a hunting debate, but if i were a fox i'd know which method i'd choose.

[WhatCameFirst]

I've only had the chooks for a few days, but I think there have been fewer foxes around since the local council went over to wheely bins!  It is certainly less messy on bin collection morning anyway.  

I don't think the hunting ban made much difference, and we do have a very local hunt.

[chooknewbie]

am suprised to c that hunts still going on, but am pleased. in my limited experience the fox always gets away but as mentioned above perhaps considers moving on.

[Aunt Sally]

I think more chickens have been taken by foxes since it became so very popular for ordinary people to keep a few chooks in their garden or nearby field.  They are the latest pet craze and fit in with many people's desire for good food - a craze which I am guilty of following.

Many new hen keepers are not really aware of the anti fox precautions which have always been necessary.

[too many girls]

i agree with you aunty, the more people that keep chickens the more opportunities the fox gets for a free chicken dinner, they do need to eat too, however the fox i've got goes against the grain, if he'd pinched one or two hens i would have forgiven him and just kept a closer eye on them during the day time, but he took the lot out in broad daylight and whilst we were out and about on the farm, that i can't forgive.

[Aunt Sally]

the fox i've got goes against the grain, if he'd pinched one or two hens i would have forgiven

I'm afraid that's not in the nature of foxes.

If it flaps and squarks it's a pray animal and must be killed  :evil:

[blossom1044]

Don't get me started!

simple answer YES

[Aunt Sally]

Don't get me started!

simple answer YES

Oooo no don't get started or Aunty will have to stop you  

[poultrygeist]

Continued loss of habitat must play a part too. With less places to thrive, they will inevitably turn to the easiest food source. As Aunt Sally says, there are more small flocks, giving more chances that they'll be able to break into one.

Hunt or no hunt, if the food source increases, their number will increase, especially in towns where the hunt, presumably, had no effect anyway.

Rob  

[Aunt Sally]

Hunt or no hunt, if the food source increases, their number will increase, especially in towns where the hunt, presumably, had no effect anyway.

Rob  

True Rob, the hunt has never riden through our housing estate nor through the public park where our local foxes live  :roll:

[too many girls]

the fox i've got goes against the grain, if he'd pinched one or two hens i would have forgiven

I'm afraid that's not in the nature of foxes.

foxes predominantly hunt at night, during daylight hours it's more common for them to take 1 or 2 and run for it, not stay around untill every last one of more than 30 birds is dead, that's what makes this fox unusual,

[poultrygeist]

Could it be that he'd been watching for a while and decided that he was safe enough to take more in daylight ?
Bearing the area you would have to cover, he may have decided he was far enough from you to do what he did and get away before the alarm would be raised.

I know it's not much of an analogy but it's the sort of thing a dog might do in the kitchen bin, knowing you're in the front room and won't get to him until he's taken all the scraps.

Rob

[Foxy]

There is a difference in behaviour between urban and rural foxes which would possibly account for urban chook keepers hens to be more at risk during the day than rural kept hens. Thats not to say that rural foxes dont hunt during the day -they do but tend to be the older "survivors" and female.
Fox mortality -roughly 60% of foxes are killed by vehicles,hunting only ever accounted for 5%. Younger foxes as well are the ones more likely to be killed during a hunt or organised shoot.
In summary, if you have a canny fox it has probably seen it, done it and got the T-Shirt I'm afraid.