Allotments 4 All
Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: salad muncher on November 03, 2004, 14:13:45
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Today I found a Fox hiding behind my shed in between some fencing due to some work men near by scaring it away from its Den, Anyway I left it alone and stayed away.
A fellow lottie arived and I mentioned the fox to him and to my horror his reponse was "Put a fork through it". Now I did tell him where to get off (nicely). I understand that if to say there are chickens on site and they were being atacked regularly there may be a case to destroy the fox/es but out of spite surley they do good like eat rabbits .. mice.. rats...slugs, what are your veiws on foxes ???
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Leave them alone !!
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We're not allowed to keep any livestock on our plots but I still wouldn't put a fork in any fox. With you on that one S-M!
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Foxes are a bit of a pain in my garden - they dig up exposed soil and either use it for toilet facilities or to bury my neighbours' rubbish and sometimes knock over pots and rip plants up. But I tolerate them. I would never hurt one, but then I am a softy veggie! I love seeing them play, though!
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We have foxes regularly on our site and they ahve at times caused trouble - ruining fleece tunnels, burying and digging up various items (including eggs!) and after all the local cats also scratch and dig and bury their "toilet" but all that is only an annoyance and we have learned to adapt. Worth every bit when you are on your knees trowelling away and look up to see Mr Fox sitting a few yards away watching intently then yawning and ambling on his away.
Afterall we encroached on his habitat, we provided the easy sources of food so how can we blame him for doing what comes naturally?
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Afterall we encroached on his habitat, we provided the easy sources of food so how can we blame him for doing what comes naturally?
Well said Wicker - I agree 100%.
Eileen.
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As I said earlier - leave them alone. Such beautiful creatures.
We have all been put on this planet for a reason - we may not always know or understand what that reason is, but we are here and should appreciate all life.
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Granny _ Smith I and, I am sure we all are with you on that one, the point I wanted to find out was peoples views on foxes as I and sure you are gob smacked that a fellow lottie, one in touch with the enviroment could be so heartless. The other point I wanted to find out was what good do they do i.e eat slugs ???
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well said Wicker. I've always thought that, but have never been able to word it so neatly!
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>:(First I was upset that it was driven out its den, but the heartless dig a fork in it hardened my heart and I could just picture the scene.....A pitch fork in my hand, one person bending over, the satisfaction of ramming that fork just where it belonged...not in the fox.
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Well they eat rabbits, voles &c -which has to be good news on our allotment site as the bunnies are everywhere.
Jeremy
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I wouldn`t rely too much on foxes for rabbit control, Jeremy. Rabbits play a far smaller part in the fox`s diet than many people think. While the fox has a good straight line speed, it has nothing like the manouvrability and turning ability of a desperate rabbit. Urban foxes prefer the easy life and to rely on much less energetic scavenging from dustbins and rubbish tips together with less challenging prey such as mice and beetles. Rural foxes are far happier killing new born lambs or decimating chicken runs - both of which they do as much for amusement as for food.
Talk of killing apparently inoffensive wild animals is never pleasant or popular, but the increase in the urban fox population is now virtually out of control, and the introduction of just one rabid animal into such a population would result in a spread of the disease of epidemic proportions, not only among foxes but among virtually all types of (unvaccinated) domestic animals.
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Yes Hugh I daresay you're right but well as my mum used to say, if ifs and ands, were pots and pans, then all the world would be tinkers...cheer us up on this grey dark day why don't you...lol.
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Sorry, Val. The last time I tried to cheer people up they objected, so I don`t bother any more.
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Hi Everyone, i agree with Hugh,i live in the country (WILTSHIRE) and worked on a farm and the killing of lambs by foxes around jan-feb in the early lambing time was bad, and as hugh said foxes dont have much turning speed so rabbits can get away from them when being chased,they do take chickens,cat's and a lot from bin's now in towns, yes at time we have to take thing's in to our own hand's but if we have to kill things do it fast and with little pain. I hate hunting of animals with dogs glad it's being band ;D ;D ;D(hate it when the animal and foxes goes to ground and then gets dug out only to be killed by the dogs >:( >:( >:( i only shoot if i must,and before anybody starts i have an airrifle, and horses can still show jump and all the people that's to do with horses wont loose there jobs, if they do, find another job like the rest of us when we loose our jobs. Must get off my soapbox -- time's are changing when it comes to wild life and we all should do more to look after them, around the fields here we have conservation strip (unworked ground - left wild)for the wildlife & wildflower's to live in, there's more Deers,Bird of pray,lapwings even wild geese and swan's so salad muncher enjoy it and dont let anybody harm what you feel for.
later
windy ;) :)
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I am surprised about foxes going for cats, Fox also at bottom of garden so may be why our cat stays in so much now even though my cat goes out with flick knife and numb chuckers. So learnt something there cheers Windy.
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;DYes I've been involved in the hunting thing,,, theres always drag hunting, but thats not good enough for them they want blood. If the fox hunting keeps down foxes they wouldn't have spread to the towns but been contained in the country.Ban isn't before time. Foxwes are wild animals we shouldn't really expect them to act civilised.should we. ;D
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Hi Val, most foxes live in town because we make it easy for them,
1/ easy picking's from wastebins at homes - supermarket -fast food's outlets etc,
2/easy places to breed under sheds -unused/rundown outbuildings overgrown parks and banks, etc,
3/A no hunting by dogs,shooting ban, in built up areas, only by poison and no body realy want's that (children-cat-dogs)
4/our own pets left out side(rabbits-hamsters-birds-chickens etc)
every large town has a Fox,Rat,Pidgeon,seagull problem sorry to say we have to live in and with our own mess
later :) :) :)
windy
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;DSo they're not only wild animals but clever too...hmm no wonder some humans want to hunt them..they don't like the competition..lol.
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Val - trouble with drag hunting is it is MUCH faster than fox hunting. Not all horses (or riders) are fit enough for that. I'm sure they still will keep hunting, despite the ban.
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Yes Sadly I think you're right, but if its law, maybe they won't have much choice.