Thankyou and goodbye hen 1 and hen 2

Sarahsaver

A bloody fox got my hens this evening. Didn't even eat them, just got their heads off.
Could I have saved them and eaten them? OH said to bin them becos u don't know what the fox may be carrying disease wise. I am angry rather than sad. Oh well £4.50 each and they have provided nearly a year's worth of eggs.
Why don't they do something useful like kill cats or squirrels?
Can you eat foxes?

BTW I live in a city 10 mins from a major rail station.

Spendless

Oh Sarah. I'm sorry I don't know what to say. Have a hug:grouphug: . Only ever seen a fox twice, once in countryside near our home. The other quite close up at Meadowhall station:rolleyes: being fed by waiting commuters.

ivyleaf

So sorry Sarah! (((((HUG)))))

We live in SE London/NW Kent about 3 minutes from the railway station - we have foxes round nearly every night (which sounds rather as if we're asking them in for drinks, but you know what I mean!) Some of them live in the railway embankment, some in gardens. The local press frequently has letters about them - the people who feed them versus the people who want them culled!

Sarahsaver

oh well I spose the next lot will be locked up at 5 every night rain or shine. I think i should have kept them to show the kids, they will be upset. I wanted to eat the hens once they past their best, but i have looked on t'internet and foxes can carry some dodgy diseases so its best to be safe I spose. Really annoyed cos they would have had a couple of years in them yet. Better luck next time. Foxes can undo the swivel type latch things btw. Sods.

Spendless

A field that I used to travel past had a big sign on it saying

"Eat British Lamb, 20,000 foxes can't be wrong"

Not that this is at all helpful, just thought you might like to know foxes have some use promoting British Meat

pavlovs_dog

what methods can you use to deter foxes/ prevent them from accessing out of curiosity?

if you know any farmers sarah, im sure they'd be the ones to ask - plenty of experience at that type of thing.

Wirenth

I'm so sorry, Sarahsaver. BIG HUG.

I hope you find some more girls to look after soon, to take the sting away.

pavlovs_dog

some interesting ideas in the threads HERE

Sarahsaver

It jumped over a six foot wall, I saw it. In fact the wall is probably higher than that. I will think about it tomorrow. Goodnight eveyone thanks for your help and kind words;)

mrbadexample

Sarahsaver wrote:

Can you eat foxes?

Yes, but....

Oscar Wilde described foxhunting as "The unspeakable in full pursuit of the inedible."

So they're probably not very tasty. _pale_

pavlovs_dog

in that case, even something as cheap and simple as trellis and some defensive planting could make a huge difference (with the added perk of helping make your house less attractive to burglars).

this time of year, it should be 2 a penny in pound stores and the like.

and have you got/thought about a motion sensor which would trigger a security light? again, dual purpose, and may even help bring your insurance premiums down.