FlyingRamses Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Hi I will be moving soon from Essex to the West of England, probably Wiltshire/Hampshire initially. Does anyone know of any areas in that direction that are fox free or is there no such place in the UK!!? My location is Essex is teeming with urban foxes and it is a big problem, impossible to leave the girlies out unattended. It would be nice to be somewhere where I need not be so worried about it. Only place I know of is Jersey!!! I have been to several places in Yorkshire and Wales where chickens seem to roam around free all day with no constraint so I assume there are places where there is not such a high fox population. FR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Rather than the fox population being less its more likely that the control methods are better Certainly I have a few friends who live near country estates where the gamekeeper keeps the fox population low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 I have a neighbour that helps with the population I still wouldn't let my babies free range unless I was home though as have seen too many of the foxy blighters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 There's no such thing as a fox free area I'm afraid - unless you move to the Isle of Man! However urban foxes are so used to humans that they are not scared of them, and this makes them very bold. It's likely that foxes in rural areas will be more cautious and keep a lower profile. Your hens will still be at risk though, especially when there are cubs to feed or in a hard winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowberry Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 We live in the Cornish countryside; a few years ago my kids were thrilled to see their first fox....when we were staying up in Fulham Mind you we have a rather bold one now who suns himself on our 'green' at midday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolateeclaire Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 I can safely let mine out in the garden all day as I live in a town in Devon. So all our foxes are rural (my niece lives a few miles away but surrounded by fields so has lost a number of her hens). I have a busy road out front and the garden backs onto a housing estate so no urban foxes here. Infact no foxes, rats, mice, mink, stoats or buzzards - mine are VERY lucky. (No mice is due to my 7 cats rather than my location!!! Claire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migsy Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 The problem is that when you think there are no foxes, one just suddenly appears out of nowhere. They have got 4 legs after all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 This area in SW France has been fox-free for at least thirteen years - all of a sudden in the last month the hunters have shot ten foxes. Our neighbour across the lane went to them to report he had lost twelve of his hens one night and our immediate neighbour lost four hens. We think the fox left our property alone because of the scent of our three dogs. Now our girls are locked in at night and we have paved their WIR with large heavy slabs. We walk the dogs every day (mostly at evening time when it's cool) and we have never seen evidence of foxes. Everyone over here has hens and any problems are dealt with quickly by the hunters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingRamses Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Just as I thought, best to keep them safe and enclosed. I love the idea of them roaming free all day and putting themselves to bed but I guess that is a non starter!! I guess the folk I know who keep theirs out are real country folk and the odd fox attack is acceptable to them and all part of country life, they just hatch some more or buy from a neighbor farmer. Ah well, city boy will stick to the same Colditz stylie run and housing once he moves to the country. Thanks all. FR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 There is definitely no such thing as a fox free area. Around where I live, foxes aren't seen in the daytime and pretty much everyone seems to free range their hens all day (me included). However, if I forgot to lock them up at night, it could be a different story... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Same situation here, the foxes were only coming around during the night. Another neighbour heard commotion at 3 o/c in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Same here, everyone locally free-ranges their hens so I do too. We're very rural though and it's hill farming country too with a strong country pursuits tradition, so while there's a healthy fox population, the numbers are kept in check to keep everyone happy. Of course there's the risk that one day some of my chooks will come a cropper and I'll have to think again, but til then ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 We live in urban Southampton in Hampshire and there are certainly foxes in the area as we've heard them at night and sometimes seen them walking up the road when we've looked out of the window. But although the foxes must be able to smell the chickens they've never shown interest in coming into the garden (although I appreciate that the word 'yet' should follow that statement). I do allow my 2 girls to free range in our enclosed garden all day whilst I'm working in the study as they love being out so much. They are shut in if I go out and then from 5pm onwards. We do have a Fox Watch permanently on that guards the area around their WIR. I think there is nowhere that is fox free and I have made the choice to take a certain amount of risk to give both the girls and me the pleasures of free-ranging as much as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Guernsey apparently has none. There ARE foxes everywhere. Especially in towns and housing estates! You only have to watch spring watch a probably u tube to watch for yourself. When I first joined this forum I read ALL the threads and every post on foxes. I find it depressing and oh so so sad to constantly read posts of people sure there are no foxes despite being told and able to read the information sadly posted so others can learn... yet they don't I don't understand...............????????????? It is so devastating to loose them due to old age or illness it must be so so awful to loose them to a fox.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosey Lucy Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I can confirm Olly's post that there are no foxes here (Isle of Man) but we do have a large polecat population. Smaller than a fox but just as vicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I can confirm Olly's post that there are no foxes here (Isle of Man) but we do have a large polecat population. Smaller than a fox but just as vicious. bummer what a a shame... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosey Lucy Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 bummer what a a shame... Yup. Also no badgers or squirrels (yet) although there is a possibility of a red squirrel introduction programme starting up here as in Scotland (I think). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lougarbard Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I live on the edge of a Cornish town (not too far from Snowberry) and in 16 years of living here I have never seen a fox, day or night. I am not saying there arn't any! Just never seen one myself!! But we have family in Canvey island (just down road from FlyingRamses) who we regularly visit and see foxes everytime, day and night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingRamses Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Little blighters are everywhere it seems!! I had one stand about 5 feet away from me at the bus stop one morning, it was in incredibly good condition and very impressive to see I must admit!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
