xChicken04x Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hi guys, I popped round to the neighbours before, to give them their weekly order of eggs. We some how got on to the conversation of the local hedgehogs and he was talking about how he watches them from his window- fair enough. He then said he feeds the foxes every night What???? In all my time living here (seven years) I have only ever seen one fox on our garden, and it looked quite old and not too healthy. But that was seven years ago and I have never seen one since or had any signs of any. So he tells me he's been feeding about four or five foxes every night, they all come in a group . This has come as a bit of a shock to say the least, I had no idea we had foxes in the area, at least not so close . So I just thought I would let you all know, even if you don't think you have foxes in your area- you will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hope you're the other end of Cheshire to me then (if you know what I mean!) - although perhaps the foxes leave your chickens alone as they get good grub next door? I thought foxes were noisy as well - the only comment I had from neighbours when talking about new chickens was they were concerned about fox noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 especially when we have people like him feeding them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 As long as he feeds them enough, it might be enough to keep them away from the chickens. Or am I just being too optimistic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I suppose it is when he stops feeding them that you have to worry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fowlbird Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 some years back there was a study done on foxes (university of limerick I think) and they found (as I remember it) that when foxes were killed a lone vixen without support would kill poultry and lambs. In areas where the foxes were left undisturbed several foxes would work together to hunt for food which included rodents, worms and slugs... so possibly a neighbour feeding foxes is protecting your hens? I just don't know. Haven't seen any for ages in our garden but they're breeding - the noise! I hear one barking next door then another answers from further down the hill and then seconds later it starts Happily they appear to be restricting their love life to the garden of a difficult neighbour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I personally feel that people shouldn't feed them, regardless of their intentions. If they are fed they will come back and back and back, what happens if the one time they come back for food the neighbour isn't there and the chickens happen to be out free ranging? Doesn't bear thinking about IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 Not too sure if the neighbour is feeding them to protect my hens, I wouldn't have thought so, he isn't really that type of bloke. He says their really tame too, and will happily come and take the food, even if he is only a couple of foot away . It's up to him if he wants to feed them if their eating elsewhere then they might stay away. Quite frankly the foxes are welcome in my garden, they have absolutely no chance of getting the the chooks and ducks runs. They are absolutely fox proof. I don't let the girls free range either, due to the fact another neighbour lets his not-very-nice staffordshire bull terrier run wild and it often ends up mooching around my garden. I would just like to add that the neighbour who feeds the hens has two large male dogs roaming around his garden for the majority of the day, but that hasn't put the foxes off coming round in the evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fowlbird Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 that's why we're planning a walk-in run - we were happy to let them free range while we were in the house but now I'm not so sure... as far as I know no one feeds foxes around here but I think they're kept busy ridding the place of rats... rodents are (hopefully) thin on the ground here as to tame foxes - some years ago I was driving through a council estate in south london - as I crawled along a small road through some blocks of flats I spotted an odd looking dog approaching from my left. I stopped and it crossed the road, jumped up on the wall next to a group of children and they fed it with their crisps - it was a fox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I'm afraid that feeding the fox won't stop it having a go at your chickens - they kill from instinct, and not hunger, although when they are very hungry they're more likely to take risks. When there's lots of food, foxes have bigger litters ... so by feeding them he's probably increasing the population. They will all need to find their own territories though, and like most urban foxes most will die before about 18 months old from traffic accidents, injuries or disease. I don't object to foxes, obviously I'd rather not have them in my garden for chickeny reasons, but they're part of British wildlife. They really should be left wild though, and not fed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I have a batty neighbour who feeds them. I keep my fingers crossed that while there are easy pickings at her place, they will steer clear of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
