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[MaggieMcHen]

Can anyone tell me if it is a particularly bad time of year for fox attacks? or are foxes generally on the increase? A lot more of us seem to be suffering at the moment and I am wondering if the urban fox population is getting out of control and what (if anything) one can do about it.

[BeckyBoo]

HI there, my own personal (and probably completely wrong) idea is that mother nature knows that winter is on it's way and everything is frantically trying to stock up for winter, plus any spring summer babies will now be big enough to go out hunting so there will be a general population increase. As for what can you do about it, not much I don't think other than make sure your hens are supervised or secure. The ago old problem between hen keeper and fox

 

Mrs B

[MaggieMcHen]

The ' supervised or secure' bit we are in the process of dealing with.

 

I just wondered at what point do urban foxes become vermin!

 

Locally we have had shoes, boots, gloves, tools and childrens toys taken from gardens and/or chewed beyond repair. Fox mess in gardens (on toys, trampolines, shoes etc.) where there are young children - if you wanted animal mess you'd get a pet! - a neighbour had cables under the car chewed. etc etc.

 

Foxes are beautiful - when not mangy - but are they getting out of hand?

 

I'm not out for a complete wipe out, but when do the numbers get to the point of needing to be culled?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

You sound like you're bein plagued by them . I know there are foxes round and about but I've not seen one or any signs that one's been near our garden.

 

Perhaps our dog is a deterrant?

[FruitandNutCake]

I know I have foxes around, but up until now I haven't seen any, even though my next door neighbour said there were some under the large "shed" at the bottom of the garden. But a couple of days ago I went down to me greenhouse about 4pm , and there was the youngster happily playing at the bottom of the garden - while my chickens are up by the house! And last night I saw one trotting along the path at the front of my house!

 

Fortunately, their walk in run is like fort knox - but I still worry that the foxes may learn how to open the door!!

[Gallina]

There are far more urban foxes where I live than ever before. The reason is simple: lots of people are now encouraging them and feeding them.

 

I find the problem is a lot worse in the spring when the cubs are born.

 

Twenty years ago a fox crossing our road would have been a very unusual event, but no one bats an eyelid now.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

This has reminded me of something that happened at work last week . The dinner lady at school was about to throw out a whole bagful of fishcakes and a colleague said "I'll take them for the fox" . She said people have been feeding the foxes where she lives since before she moved there and she does it too now .

[Olly]

Unfortunately, foxes are 'designed' to breed according to the amount of food available - if times are lean, they only have one or two cubs but if food is plentiful, they have larger litters.

 

Well-intentioned people feed them, as described above, and of course in urban areas there's usually plenty of takeaway/fast food outlets where food will be dropped or waste not secured - so yes, Maggie, numbers have increased. There's no 'culling', the theory is that foxes control the numbers themselves, but those of us plagued by the furry fiends are not convinced by that!

 

The life of an urban fox is not particularly long or happy - there's huge pressure on space because there are so many of them, many of them have mange and worms, and the average lifespan of an urban fox is 18 months.

 

I still think foxes look lovely in the wild, and they're part of our natural fauna, but they are a *&!!*! nuisance when they're using your garden as a playground, especially if you keep chickens! Invest in a Foxwatch, I haven't seen a fox in the garden since I got mine.

[MaggieMcHen]

Does Foxwatch hurt the dogs in the household?

[chelsea]

Does Foxwatch hurt the dogs in the household?

 

 

ooh, love your avatar!

 

I dont think foxwatch is suitable for dogs, which is why we've never bought one!

[Maccbean]

 

Fortunately, their walk in run is like fort knox - but I still worry that the foxes may learn how to open the door!!

 

I wouldn't put it past them, so I would suggest you do what I did, and put a padlock on, then they have to find the key, haha!

[piptiddlepip]

We're putting a hasp on our nest box door (we've got a wooden coop, not an eglu) and the run door has upper and lower bolts. So I don't think foxy will be able to open them.

 

We have a park behind the house where I know there are foxes - I've seen one or two walk across the road at dusk, bold as brass. But it's quite difficult for them to get into my garden, and it's surrounded by 5-6ft walls, and any gfox that gets in is not going to find it easy to get back out again. So pity any fox I come across in the morning, because it will quickly become a fox projectile on the end of my wellyboot!

 

I'm not a cruel person, and I'm all for nature, but I despise any creature that kills for fun as well as food. I hate the way they will kill an entire coop full of chooks before picking the one they want.

[Gallina]

A fox can get over a six-foot fence in seconds, so I am afraid a wall would be even easier for it....

 

Be very careful.

[Matthew]

We're putting a hasp on our nest box door (we've got a wooden coop, not an eglu) and the run door has upper and lower bolts. So I don't think foxy will be able to open them.

 

We have a park behind the house where I know there are foxes - I've seen one or two walk across the road at dusk, bold as brass. But it's quite difficult for them to get into my garden, and it's surrounded by 5-6ft walls, and any gfox that gets in is not going to find it easy to get back out again. So pity any fox I come across in the morning, because it will quickly become a fox projectile on the end of my wellyboot!

 

I'm not a cruel person, and I'm all for nature, but I despise any creature that kills for fun as well as food. I hate the way they will kill an entire coop full of chooks before picking the one they want.

 

 

They don't kill for "fun".. its just natural instinct... kill anything that moves so that they can take and return for anything they need rather than take one and then not have enough and the source of food gone.

 

And as said previously they will be up and over a 5'/6' wall quicker than you could put a welly on let alone kick it

[Henhathnofury]

Foxes have young to feed in March/April - so that is considered the worst time.

 

I love animals but the urban fox is the country fox's skanky cousin, I'm afraid. They scavenge, spread disease and generally make themselves unwelcome. I positively discourage people to feed them and while out looking for my lost cat, found a fox den in a school ground, fox poo in their sandpit. This was so worrying that I told them - hopefully they got rid of it.

 

You simply have to take lots of measures:

 

1. Get a male to regularly wee around the coop/run

 

2. Install 1/2 foxwatches and put them on mains - I have seen the difference from battery to mains and it is huge - the batteries are too weak for the Foxwatch.

 

3. Get hold of SCOOT or SILENT ROAR

 

4. Never let the girls be out at dusk or near dusk. Of course some urban foxes will be daytime invaders - but dusk is very dangerous

 

 

I even went to the extreme measure of walking around the area with a FOXWATCH on (battery operated for that time) - you will make the fox aware that it is an unpleasant place to be. Complain about people who leave food out, especially restaurants. Report them to the Environmental Health if necessary - there are rats too remember!

 

We know that we have a fox or two living close but he has NEVER been in our garden - because we use all the above measures. I want our girls to free-range - so that's the choice I make.

[madchickenlady]

I just tend to assume that Mr. Fox is about all the time. My girls free range around the garden while I'm at home and can keep an eye on them, but stay in their run when I'm not. I also make sure that they are secured in their run as soon as they roost. I've never had a fox in the garden, but that doesn't mean I won't We live in a fairly rural area, so at least our foxes are nervous of people. The urban fox which travels through my parents' garden has been known to lay on the back step watching them eat their dinner!

[chickensuep]

Does Foxwatch hurt the dogs in the household?

 

I have 2 westies and 1 jack russell and the foxwatch has no affect on them whatsoever. I have had it for just over a week plugged into the mains and have not seen a fox so far (a few visits previous to the foxwatch). By accident I placed it next to a plant which when the wind blows sets the sensor off with it's long thin leaves. A good idea I think as it is going off frequently day and night.