The Poultry Keeper

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

I'm glad I'm sleeping with my window open - at 4.30am this morning I woke up to hear the chickens outside being noisy, then I heard something scratching at the wire of the run - that fox! I ran outside being very noisy on my way and assuming the fox had buggered off with all the noise I crouched down and peered into the run to check for damage/injury - the run looked secure and the birds aside from being spooked seemed fine - just then I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye, looked up and there's the fox, peeping over the fence I assume to see if I'd gone yet! Ballsy little thing. It looks like a very small fox, probably one of last years cubs - I've put up a note in freecycle see if anyone has a live catch trap I can borrow for a few weeks, if not it looks like I might be shelling out for one of those too.

The run is pretty secure but I'm not sure how well it would stand up to a continued assault by a determined fox. It's also on concrete now so no chance of digging under - the new run will be on grass though, think I'll put a big skirt of wire round it, or maybe even floor it completely in wire - the grass will still come up fine through it, though would it damage the chicks when they were dustbathing?

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1942 Location: Cheshire

I have a wired run floor, just pile some soil on top of the wire if the run is going to be in a fixed place, after a number of months they manage to scratch up soil and cover it anyway. I have no evidence that it has harmed mine.

What do you intend to do with your live fox once caught?

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

I intend to rapidly turn it into a non-live fox.

I'm contemplating trying to cure the skin too - something I've been interested in learning about for a while.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1351 Location: Leicestershire

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2474 Location: South Cumbria

we did a roe deer once with alum ?? all cured bar one 50p size piece so I threw it wish I'd kept it now it was pre kids so many years ago Laughing

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 1825 Location: norfolk

Done rabbits and grey squirrels. Much scraping and peeling and rubbing with salt and then alum.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

Sounds good - where do you get alum from?

I had a roe roadkill last night, but as it was getting dark I just wanted to get the main bits of meat off it asap so didn't skin it - wish I had now! Would have been a good one to practice on.

Shadow certainly enjoyed the roe remains - I've just got to figure out what to do with the rest of the carcass now! It's in the freezer at the moment to make it easier to handle (and less smelly).

The fox didn't return last night, and freecycle has not approved my post so I'm either going to have to buy or find a live trap somewhere.

Don't suppose anyone here has one lying around?

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2474 Location: South Cumbria

I think we got it from a chemist but as it is more than 30 years ago I can't be certain Laughing

CP · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 10:08 am Post subject:

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

they did mention about the borrowing, but also said that it would likely cause debate which also wasn't allowed.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1351 Location: Leicestershire

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2474 Location: South Cumbria

Alum is used in pickling if I am not wrong, not that I use it !

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 1825 Location: norfolk

Eeek! I hope it isn't - my dictionary says it's double sulphate of aluminium and potassium and I don't fancy that in my pickle! Yes, it probably is toxic like everything useful used 30 years ago (she says, sighing Rolling Eyes

) I have an amazing hippy book by Alicia Bay Laurel called Living on the Earth. I highly recommend it to you Kitsune it has a host of fascinating things in it amongst which is a recipe for tanning using fat and brains or tanbark oak.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1351 Location: Leicestershire

I used a mixture of pure soap and neatsfoot oil. You just need an emulsified mix, so you could also use egg yolks and oil. I didn't have the brains (no not me personally Laughing

although it could be said . . . ) I'll rephrase that. I didn't have access to the brains. The theory is that within a skin the short fibres(!) that make it up are all criss crossed and you have to work the skin as it's drying to align them. If it dries with them crossed - which it will if you just let it dry then it goes stiff, align them and it stays soft. So it needs to be worked as it's drying, pulling and stretching in all directions and working in the emulsified mix at the same time. Amazingly it doesn't go bad. . . . If you cure with Alum - or bark tannins you still have to do something to soften. Once the skin is stable, dry and soft using a brain tan type formula then it is stable and stays that way even if you wet it.

You can of course cure with formaldehyde which is fairly easily available from farm supplies, but again it's a rather nasty chemical.

Itsybitsy