The Poultry Keeper

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2240 Location: North Cornwall

I've got a fox coming right up into the cattle yards in broad daylight. This is were my lot freerange most of the time. We are going to put electric netting all round the front and end that opens out onto the fields but I afraid they might try and go through it and get caught in it as it will stop them going down a steep gorse bank where they love to scratch about in the evening sun. Crying or Very sad

Does anyone use it with chooks and have you had problems with them getting caught up. Ive got it round the ducks and have only had one stuck in it. But it was there before they came, my girls will not be used to it. Sad

I think the problem has arisen because of the lack of rabbits. We were overrun with them earlier in the year but myxomatosis has virtually wiped them out here.

I feel so kna****d with all the worry of them being got by the fox that they are all shut in until the netting goes up, poor things Crying or Very sad

skye girl · Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 638 Location: Isle of skye

I've not used it, cheeky fox, shoot it, we sometimes have trouble with Hooded crow, they had a chick last spring, OH shoots them now, hope the fence works, good luck

mojo · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:19 pm Post subject:

skye girl has best advice

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1443 Location: Leicestershire

Hi Jan

We have spoken briefly about this and for everyone else I have had a bad fox problem these last few weeks with Mr Raynard now having killed 10 of my chickens, he is also coming in the day, I bought some poultry net and also put up stranded wire, which has not been a great deal of success, however the girls soon got used to it and I heard a few squawks and now they generally go nowhere near, but I've finally found a man!!! (no - not like that Laughing

) this man is a fox hunter so to speak, he says, now he's found an easy source of food he will not only keep on coming back but will bring his children too, it's much easier to keep them out if they've never been in and there are ways to discourage this, once he's been in then the only course of action is to shoot him or get somebody in to do it for you. My man is is hopefully going to get rid of mine (he said no more than a week) plus others in the area, then he is going to sort me out to discourage any others coming in (I am soooo grateful) I've had to keep my girls in when I'm not around and basically it's not fair on them, my elec fence also stops them going to places they love. To sum it up in a few words - have him shot. It's the only answer.

Itsybitsy

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2240 Location: North Cornwall

Yes, I totally agree, shooting is the best. But at this time of year my gamekeeper chap is tied up with pheasant shoots and just doesn't have the time. We only have an air rifle which is too heavy for me and OH cant hit a non moving target let alone one on the hoof.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1443 Location: Leicestershire

There will be somebody else around to do it for you, what about the local hunt, they will help, foxes are by law classed as vermin and the hunt can still legally shoot them.

By netting do you mean ordinary electric sheep netting or the proper poultry stuff?? I think they probably would try to get through the sheep and do risk getting caught but the poultry stuff is quite dense at the bottom and mine paced up and down it for a while before going off and finding a way round Laughing

but they didn't try to go through, but it is hellishly expensive - £105. for 50m

Itsybitsy

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2240 Location: North Cornwall

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3457 Location: Monmouthshire

Poultry netting works - and none of my birds have ever got tangled up in it. the friesians are the only birds I've known to totally ignore it. they just walk through it. I have had to extricate a couple of hedgehogs - one was OK, but the other one died as it was a newly charged battery. However, it keeps the foxes out, which as I am surounded by forestry and noisy foxes, has made the expense worth while. If your fox had a guinea fowl then he definitely needs shooting, for he's a wily beastie.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1443 Location: Leicestershire

I put my 50m length up to stop the girls going into the "danger area", some managed to sneak through at the river bank, but the fox after a couple of days just came into the field futher up so if you've got it open one end then sorry but he will just find a way round it. I had lots of ideas and advice especially as I work with farmers, but non of it was much use and I spent a lot of money.

Itsybitsy

Issy · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 371 Location: somerset

Never had a problem with my netting and we used to see tracks of the foxes all around the outside but they never got in and none of the hens ever got stuck in it either. New hens learnt very quickly not to go too close. Fantastic stuff (netting that is Very Happy

).

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2240 Location: North Cornwall

Thanks everyone,

My poor girls are still shut in, Crying or Very sad

the netting should come tomorrow so by Wednesday it should be up. I'm going to sit out side and watch them on Thursday in case they get caught up.

These are rolls eight and nine going up, so they had better stay on the right side of it or its in the pot with all of them Twisted Evil

Only joking, but that's what I'm telling them Laughing