Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[LaPoule]

Not sure where to put this, but as it is to do with a WIR (eventually), thought this woud be the best place:

 

In my garden (in total about 5m x 80m), the first 10m beyond the chicken run is dead space, and then there is about 10m worth of badger sett, and then another 20m of dead space. The badgers expanded their sett this spring, and the holes are getting ever closer to the chicken run . I have applied for a licence to fill in the holes closest to the chicken run, and am going to try and encourage the badgers to use the dead 20m of space at the very top of the garden instead. Does anyone have any experience of this?

 

I am going to spend the next year using a weed gun to kill off the vegetation in the whole top 40m (all weeds anyway), and then, next spring, sow a wildflower meadow. In the area I am trying to move the badgers on from (the first 20m), I have thought about putting down some turf reinforcement mesh (http://www.boddingtons-ltd.com/acatalog/turfprotecta-turf-reinforcement.html) before sowing. Does anyone have experience of this? I will protect this area with electric netting until the roots take hold, but does anyone know if it will be strong enough? Or should I just lay some weldmesh down? I might leave the odd bit of food at the top too, to encourage them to move up, but will discuss this with the DEFRA guy when he comes.

 

Next spring, we hope to build a WIR in the space immediately beyond the current run, so it will be very close to where some of the current holes are, so I am understandably quite anxious to move the badgers further up! Obviously, the run will have to have a concrete base, and 16g weldmesh, just in case the badgers get peckish!

 

I love wildlife, and it really is fabulous having a badger sett in the garden, but it is a bit of a hassle too! There’s enough space for everyone to be happy, if only the badgers would budge up a bit! Obviously, we could have the whole sett moved, but I have been advised that there used to be loads of foxes before the badgers moved in, and given a choice, I’d rather have badgers!

 

If anyone has any similar experiences, or advise on the turf reinforcement, or other advise, I would love to hear.

[katiebeagle]

Hi

My brother in law is an Environmental Consultant & his speciality is Badger Setts, their regulation & re-routing etc. Would you like me to ask him for some advice.

 

What I can gather is that you need sack loads of peanuts as a bribe to help them re-route once you've gained permission etc. He's involved in making sure that builders & motorway works dont interfere with wildlife & if they do what they can do about it, if anything at all.

 

Anj

xxx

[LaPoule]

Hi Anj,

 

Yes please! Any advice is most welcome . The Boddingtons people are going to send me a sample - can you ask him if he thinks the GrassProtecta will do any good, which is what they recommend?

http://www.boddingtons-ltd.com/acatalog/Grassprotecta-grass-protection-mesh.html

 

I am only trying to move them by about 10-15m. Still waiting to hear from DEFRA, but I thought if I have some definite ideas, then I will know exactly what I need the licence to cover.

 

Also concerned, as I am planning to increase the flock (Silkies ), and wondered if more birds might be more tempting?

 

Thanks,

Tina

[Chucky Mama]

Sorry I can't help with the re routing issue but my neighbour had all of her chickens killed by badgers a couple of years ago. It was thought to be unusual but it had been very dry and it is thought that the badgers were having problems digging for food.

[LaPoule]

Badgers seem to be rife in this area, don't they Chucky Mama?! I have just had my proposal to try and shift the badgers up approved - let's see how co-operative they are

Building a WIR with a concrete base, just in case - although, as I live in a conservation area (trust me, my house is not that nice that it warrants it ), I will have to apply for planning permission for it...

[Ms Marple]

I don't know too much about badgers, but we have a badeger route that goes through our lower garden to a garden two houses away where the sett is under their Greenhouse (which is very large). All I have learnt so far is that the badgers seem to not deviate from their route across my garden which is deeply ingrained into the lawn - in fact the grass is a different shade of green. we were advised to amke sure that our garden shed (recently erected) did not fall directly into their path!!