To be so upset to be told a near neighbour has just tried to poison our fox?

[tinalane]

We have a local fox & one of the things that makes DP happy is to spot the fox out the window, walking about at night.

A neighbour has JUST THIS MINUTE been walking about unannounced in the back garden & told me that something just got his chickens, so he put some meat down with poison & was looking to see if he's killed it.

(weep)

Why didn't he put better fences up???

Why did he have to poison what makes DP & me happy?

I said he'd better put better fences up then & closed the door before I cried or said something I'd regret.

I don't want his chickens hurt either but he seemed so sadistic it was horrible.

(shaking)

What if poor DP find out? How horrible!

My friend lost 2 chucks to fireworks this year. They were frightened to death. Perhaps she should seek out the firework lighter involved and poison them?

YANBU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Completely irresponsible to put poison down in such a way. It is his responsibility to keep his chickens safe in the same way it is my responsibility to keep my dog off the road...

And has anyone ever seen chickens ripping mice or rats apart then, they can be pretty brutal themselves - thats mother nature!

If a fox is causing a real problem their are far better more acceptable means than randomly throwing some poisonede food down

and I agree, report him!

and I agree, report him!

If my cat was killed because some irresponsible, brain-dead selfish fucker put poison down, I'd be hard put not to hunt THEM down and make them suffer. As well as calling the RSCPCA and doing everything I could to get them prosecuted.

Human beings are responsible for their behaviour. Wild animals aren't.

Report him to the rspca.

I think he is totally irresponsible for putting down the poison - we seem to all think the same on that note. I'd report him to the rspca too.

I agree with what edam et al have said - vermin is a horrible word and I can't see why killing a fox is any better than killing any other animal. Just because we choose to keep certain animals as our pets doesn't mean other animals have any less right to live/hunt/breed.

Choose to keep chickens and you choose to be responsible for keeping them safe. Of course foxes will try and break in to get at them - foxes are wild animals and foxes eat chickens. You've provided them with a ready made meal in a box out in the garden unprotected. What else is the fox going to do? It's an animal after all.

edam - come and have a look at my AIBU thread about vermin please.

I had a much loved cat die of indiscriminate poisoning - and yes it was dreadful, he suffered horribly for days. However, foxes are top of their food chain, have no predators except man, get fed by lots of well-meaning townies and make a right nuisance of themselves once their population gets out of control. We are sheep farmers and it's so depressing to see a fox which is totally welcome to help itself to all the rabbits on the farm eating the head off a newborn baby lamb instead.
They are bloody difficult to shoot as they are very smart and such good runners, you're not allowed to hunt them, so what can you do?
Agree your neighbour shouldn't really be putting poison out because lots of other animals are then put at risk. I have heard good results from having electric fences for chickens, you could suggest that. But he needs to sink the fence at least a foot into the ground, and have the pen with a roof, and then electrify it. Chicken Colditz.
Above all, don't be sad about the fox, there will be another one along before long.
Is not good idea to get too sentimental about wild animals, no matter how beautiful and interesting they are. They live on the edge and the hard fact is they spend their lives dodging death one way or another. You can't make pets of them, they'd hate it (and they really, really stink!).

I don't agree with poisoning for fox control as it's so indiscriminate, not because it is cruel. I would be interested to know how many people on here put down rat/mouse poison or slug pellets.

Not me. All are lethal. Rarely to the intended victim.

You can't always 'take care' with chickens. They need to be able to go out into their run during the day. They're entitled to fresh air and exercise just as the fox is.

On that last point, I'd point out that the alternative to allowing chickens fresh air and exercise is a domestic version of battery farming. Or are we now supportive of keeping chooks in barbaric circumstances lest we disappoint our neighbourhood foxes and the OP's husband?

Foxes don't tend to hunt during the day, and if you have a fox-proof enclosure the chickens should be fine. There was a young dog fox who used to sunbathe in my garden in late spring. On top of the guineapig hutch. He couldn't get in and the piggies weren't bothered.

yanbu we have lovely fox that comes to us and a badger we love to if awake when they come to sit and watch

my sis had 6 cats killed due to pratt next door putting poison down another chicken keeper disgusting and irresponsible

if you have a run that is well set up there is no need to worry about fox i know plenty of chicken keepers who have well made runs from the coop and fox proof as can be

Goblinchild, foxes do hunt during the day. They also dig, so a well fenced run is not always fox proof.

I know both (the hunting during the day and the digging) as one dug into mine on a Sunday lunchtime. Luckily we heard the ruckus and got there in time.

Appalled that someone would put poisoned meat down though.

News update:

we heard a fox outside this morning, so perhaps her heightened sense of smell has protected her.

Here are some more fascinating fox facts