To be annoyed with neighour feeding the fox

[Pat123dev]

My neighbour feeds the fox, which has now turned to foxes, they keep eating my chickens. They are having to be shut in to protect them, which miserable!!

We've had an offer of help by shooting them. I said to my neighbour we wouldn't do that, of she stops feeding them. She thinks I'm unreasonable.

We've had the odd fox attack over the years, it's part of country life, but now we're over run they literally take any birds and fight with dogs and attack the cat.

Foxes are vermin. Feeding them is ridiculous, right up there with feeding pigeons and rats!

I wholeheartedly disagree with chasing them all over the countryside on horseback with hounds, but also foxes are not pets and no one should be feeding them!

I haven't had the foxes shot. It was an offer by someone else.

Yes my garden is fenced. I've always lived in the countryside. I've said I can fence the chickens.

Normally, foxes are sly, they don't want to be near people dogs etc.

This pack are so tame and confrontational, it's unnatural. We think they fed the mum and that's become mum and grown up cubs.

I don't want shoot foxes. I don't know what to do.

Exactly. The feeding of the foxes encourages them to closer to human activity and to become bolder. I can't believe the number of people who think feeding wild animals is ok. Just. Don't. Feed. Them.

Someone I know had her cat attacked by a fox. The cat was so badly injured in it's pain and terror it bit her badly and passed away in her arms. She had to have antibiotics for her injuries and was distraught over the untimely and cruel death of a much loved pet. Of course foxes don't attack cats.

Foxes are not vermin. A quick Google will tell you that

I’m thinking there is some exaggeration going on.

• If neighbour is feeding the foxes as much as you say, they’d not be hungry and not taking your chickens.
• foxes getting your chickens is because your chicken run/coop is not secure enough
• I’ve never seen foxes attack dogs or cats. They’re not aggressive species. They only attack food animals and only when hungry. Foxes are mostly nocturnal, just keep cat and dog indoors dusk to dawn. Foxes are shy of humans. They would certainly not be attacking your dog in your garden in the middle of the day with your child watching!

If there are too many foxes, call a wildlife charity or animal rescue to have them humanely caught and relocated to a new countryside location.

@PlanDeRaccordement

I’m thinking there is some exaggeration going on.

• If neighbour is feeding the foxes as much as you say, they’d not be hungry and not taking your chickens.
• foxes getting your chickens is because your chicken run/coop is not secure enough
• I’ve never seen foxes attack dogs or cats. They’re not aggressive species. They only attack food animals and only when hungry. Foxes are mostly nocturnal, just keep cat and dog indoors dusk to dawn. Foxes are shy of humans. They would certainly not be attacking your dog in your garden in the middle of the day with your child watching!

If there are too many foxes, call a wildlife charity or animal rescue to have them humanely caught and relocated to a new countryside location.

They usually leave the chicken carcass, which is more frustrating. I've secured chickens. I'm glad you ve not seen a fox attack, it's not pleasent.

Yep Foxes are mostly nocturnal and shy, and that's always been the case here previously....but when someone feeds them as they have been the last year or so it changes the balance.

Foxes are vermin. Feeding them is ridiculous, right up there with feeding pigeons and rats!

Foxes are not vermin so stop talking rubbish.

I feed foxes and birds, they’re beautiful, it’s not ridiculous. I also have dogs. Our old cat used to play with some of the foxes.

Foxes are beautiful animals. Protect you chickens - you keep them captive for YOUR needs so the least you can do is keep them safe. by building them a more secure place And don't you dare get wildlife shot because it is inconvenient to you - absolutely disgusting!

Can you fox proof your garden?

Wish we could address the cat issue.I have birds (budgies) and neighbours cats are often in my garden...yet not one have I thought shooting them was the answer.if anything cats are worse as they are technically someone's property (all pets are ) that can simply come in to my garden poop where they want and scare my pets.

What a nuisance.

@Aggy35

Wish we could address the cat issue.I have birds (budgies) and neighbours cats are often in my garden...yet not one have I thought shooting them was the answer.if anything cats are worse as they are technically someone's property (all pets are ) that can simply come in to my garden poop where they want and scare my pets.

Yet they (cat owners) would be the first to moan when their cat gets hit by a car. There is a cat that keeps coming into my garden, and if my dog caught it, I don't think it would be going home.

@AssemblySquare

Foxes are vermin. Feeding them is ridiculous, right up there with feeding pigeons and rats!

I wholeheartedly disagree with chasing them all over the countryside on horseback with hounds, but also foxes are not pets and no one should be feeding them!

You're wrong. In fact I would argue you as a human should be classed as vermin before a fox

@Pat123dev

We would get a bigger chicken run, but I can't let the dogs out, the cat is petrified. The foxes walk around my garden even when we have children there, if my 10 year old wants to play football, we need to stand out with him as the foxes will come regardless, the fox just attack the dog there in my garden whilst he was playing football. It's scary.

The fox attacks your dog???? Hmmm. What kind of dog?

Oh no, all the free animals doing what animals do bothering our birds in captivity!

Foxes ARE beautiful but the dozy neighbours shouldn't be feeding them.

We have neighbours who feed the foxes breakfast and dinner every single day. Consequently we are over run with foxes. They mess everywhere and I am constantly clearing up after them. They have bitten through our garden football net and three different sets of outside Christmas lights. We saw a fox running through our garden with a pheasant's head in its mouth and the body was left in our garden. We have also seen a fox burying a dead rat in our garden and the remains of a pigeon covered in fox poo was left in our back garden.

I live in a built up suburb.......

Foxes aren't going to attack your children

Why are your chosen animals more important than foxes?

p.s.

To all those who say foxes are nocturnal, those living locally here are visible at any time during the day. I would say that most days I see 4 or more foxes.

not read the thread yet but foxes DO NOT attack cats unless to protect their young. They live side by side in urban areas just fine and I haven't seen any evidence on my trail cameras. Plenty of neighbours cats and plenty of foxes all ignoring each other.

Plus your chickens should be locked away at night anyway, many parts of the UK are under bird flu restrictions so it makes sense to be as protective of them as possible.

@RainbowsAndSequins

Why are your chosen animals more important than foxes?

Precisely, sentient animals labelled as good/bad by not so intelligent humans. My wildlife cameras show foxes happily eating alongside hedgehogs and being chased away by my neighbours cats.

It’s highly unusual to see a fox attacking dogs/cats. Bit of a goady thread really designed to attract the knuckle draggers.

How dare they try to eat like everything else 🙄
Have we had the ‘killing for fun’ idiots yet?

@Kikkomam

Foxes ARE beautiful but the dozy neighbours shouldn't be feeding them.

Why? Why not feed foxes but hedgehogs and birds are ok to feed? Who makes those rules?

@User112

Isn’t your garden fenced?

I’m assuming you are ok with someone getting your dogs/cats/chicken shot because … ?

You aren’t really suitable for country living - are you?

Only read the first page, and just to point out (as may well have already been done) that indeed one would be very aware that wrt dogs, if they start worrying or killing sheep or have the taste of blood that the farmer is indeed well within his rights to shoot the dog.

It’s irrelevant if you’re “okay” with it or not, it is just a fact of living in the countryside and I’ve known several much loved dogs who have had to be put down after they get the taste of blood/killing sheep. The owners accept it as it’s a fact of country life. As is killing livestock for meat such as much loved home reared pig or sheep, or indeed chickens. (Less so cats admittedly)

The countryside is quite a bloody place. With all due respect you sound more like you’re the one not suited.