WARNING
Some may find this post distasteful.
Yesterday while working in the veg garden, I heard a commotion in the chicken area,
A Buzzard had swooped down and was attacking one of the chickens
I have managed to upload cctv footage of the attack on to facebook but cant get it load here.
The buzzard didnt manage to get away with the young chicken it misjudged and crashed into the chicken house and dropped the bird, which as I got over to it was taking its last breath.
I was angry in fact I had a bit of rant well more than a rant,
The young chicken didnt die in vain,
I used it to bait the fox trap
and this morning
Yep I have me a fox a young one, proberbly one of the young ones that had my OAP's the other week.
Now awaiting for some one to come and dispatch it.
Yes it may seem unfair being such a young fox, but it is the way things go, it cant be relocated and cause some-one else problems.
Young foxes grow up and breed more young foxes, we already have a population explosion of foxes.
If we were closer I'd happily dispatch it for you. I eagerly await the fluffy bunny posters swarming thus post with nonsense about nothe killing foxes and how all livestock owners should keep their stock in an electrified fort knox....
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh, a lot!
DeleteA local farmer friend came down straight away and dispatched the fox, the only reason I didnt do it is I dont have access to a shot gun.
DeleteJust to say that I am with you all the way on this one.
ReplyDeleteMy chicken yard is fully enclosed AND covered.....killing that fox is despicable....and blaming the buzzard for nor properly protecting the chickens when it is YOUR FAult.... we have buzzards, hawks, foxes, raccoons....if they get in, it is MY FAULT for not providing adequate protection......
ReplyDeletelynda - i am sure that everyone who reads Dawn's blog wishes they had such a great set-up as you obviously have - but not everyone has what you have. however, they do the best that they can. so instead of making an angry, patronizing comment...why not leave some suggestions for Dawn...and then all of us could learn from the suggestions, too.
Deleteplease stop commenting on other people's blogs if you offer no suggestion and only vitriol. i checked your link-back from your name and am quite surprised that someone as knowledgeable as yourself, or even an "about me" section in their profile, would not have a blog themselves in order to help others.
because that's what Dawn and the rest of us do - we blog about our brilliant successes and our miserable failures, we comment on each other's blog to offer support and sympathy as well as to say - job well done - or here's what i did when such and such happened to me. all to help each other.
not to tear each other down. there are many kinds of people in the world...and you happen to be one the kinds i don't particularly care for. put your money where your mouth is and offer support and suggestions. and stop condescending when you can't even be bothered to have a blog for us to go and see all of the wonderful ways in which you garden and homestead for all of us to ooh and ahh at. that is all.
In the UK foxes have no preditors, there is no other way of controling them other than shooting or trapping and dispatching, if they are not controlled they cause horrific losses not just poultry but to lambs being born they will rip a lamb from a ewe as it is being born, also calves again while being delivered a fox will tear the tounge from a calf, to protect the poultry (chickens ducks geese turkeys ) from fox attacks we would have to keep them in cages on concrete compounds no life for poultry, dispatching predetors is protecting the flock, the Buzzard is protected and we cannot control them we just have to try methods with nets wires and scarers to keep them away we have an explosion of buzzards again no predetors, its a way of life here and it will continue along the same lines.
DeleteDawn,
DeleteIn order not to keep my chickens on concrete to prevent dogs and raccoons from digging under my fence, I use what we call hog wire or dog wire. The openings are 3"x4". I put a four foot wide piece under the pen fences. 1/3 is on the inside and the other 2/3 on the outside, all on the ground. Predators are not smart enough after not being able to dig under the fence to realize they must back up 3 or three feet and dig there. Actually, most would not want to dig under ground and under a flat piece of fencing. NOTHING has breached the pen underneath since I have put this down. I use garden pins, like long hairpins to hold it down so I don't get tangled up in the flat fencing.
I'm with you on the fox, they devastate any chicken house, and are pest, and the most sneaky of animals
ReplyDeletethe does cause devestation and take out a whole chicken house
DeleteWell done dawn, a woman after my own heart.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteYou do what you have to.
ReplyDeleteTank you
DeleteBehind you all the way, Dawn.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteThat's country living I'm afraid Dawn - we have to harden our hearts sometimes.
ReplyDeleteunfortunatly the foxes are becoming an urban pest too
DeleteDawn - it's easy to be an "armchair gardener/homesteader", full of knowledge of all of the rights and wrongs - it's another thing quite differently to be dealing with this stuff daily and having to make choices about this and that. i support your choice in this matter, as i have in most, and applaud the fact that you would share all of this with us...so that we can all learn.
ReplyDeletesending much love! your friend,
kymber
I know it has to be done but I can't help feeling sorry for that beautiful fox-x-
ReplyDeleteWe dont take pleasure from the killing but it comes with territory, it was a vixen and could have given us years and years of trouble and losses
DeleteI understand Dawn. You do what you have to to protect your livestock and the money you have invested in them. I'm just too soft-x-
DeleteI catch all the raccoons I can and have someone else dispatch them! NO, they are not cute!
ReplyDeleteGetting a shot gun licence is next on my list
DeleteI agree with you Dawn. You are protecting what is yours, just as I would if I was in your position.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteThe only good fox is the dead fox. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteLOL Lynda is a troll. No blog history or anything else. I will admit though that I would more than likely try and relocate the fox myself BUT since I live so close to some pretty expansive federally owned national forest land there are spots I can take it that are remote enough that it won't cause anyone else issues.
ReplyDeleteThat's odd about the buzzard though. I didn't think buzzards could actually digest fresh meat. Are you sure it wasn't a hawk or eagle of some type. I don't care if it's a Bald Eagle if the thing comes after my chickens or lambs the anti-aircraft artillery is coming out.
Here in the UK it is called a Buzzard they hunt rabbits, birds, snakes voles and mice live hunt not dead
DeleteI have a huge fondness for foxes Dawn and enjoy watching the local ones in the fields behind my house. However saying that I have no livestock to protect here so if the boot was on the other foot I would probably take the same position as you x
ReplyDeleteI enjoy seeing them out in the wild going about there business just dont want them doing it here
DeleteI have no problem with any of what you've done Dawn. I'm lucky in my urban area that the foxes are kept away by a big dogs wee, small boys wee and the fact were home often enough and outside enough in the day that our free rangers are not an easy target. Having said that, I would do exactly as you've done if a fox came for my girls!
ReplyDeleteI think the commentator above who was so judgemental needs to get a life. We're all doing the best we can with our set ups. I believe my night shed is bomb proof. Mesh under ground, then sand, and it's metal. But I only have 10 chooks. They free range in the day....and therefore are at risk...but to me they are happier than they would be in a small run, healthier too. I don't have the land for a huge chicken run. We make the best of what we have right? I agree that advice giving is much better than taking someone down. Keep at it Dawn, I think you're doing a great job!
We never have a problem during the day, always too much coming and going, we havent yet had an attack on the chicken house but have lost ducks there house was torn open
DeleteYou have to protect your chickens! I know folks who haven't had the opportunity to enjoy true rural living have great fondness for wildlife, but have no experiential knowledge in regards to how destructive they can be. With more folks trying to homestead I think the lessons are starting to be learned. Our livestock have the right to be protected too.
ReplyDeleteWhen we domesticate livestock we have a duty of care
DeleteYou did the right thing for your situation. Sorry some people feel a need to be hateful.
ReplyDeleteI dont think it was hateful more mis understanding our way of life
DeleteI understand where you're coming from, whilst nature says the fox must eat, you are in a position where it's your responsibility to protect your animals.
ReplyDeleteyes exactly
DeleteOf course you don't enjoy killing a fox, but it has to be done. Fully supporting your decision Dawn. 100%.
ReplyDeleteSad but true...so many times we have lost poultry to foxes...I wouldn't have minded if it was just to eat...I just don't understand why they have to kill everything in one attack...it can't be a good survival strategy as they leave no fresh meat for catching next time. x
ReplyDelete