What happens when foxes start eating chickens (graphic)

[BelovedBirds]

So according to you someone with limited funds shouldn't be allowed to have livestock because they can't afford to house them the way you want?
Calling people barbaric and irresponsible is arrogant because they don't think the same as you.
Incredible.

Yeah, I guess I am insane enough to believe that if you cant afford housing, you shouldnt buy the animal.

I dont call people barbaric or irresponsible, actually. But the action of killing a wild animal instead of fixing your security, is both barbaric and irresponsible, yes.

If the birds are secure to the best of one's ability, then lethal force may be necessary and understandable.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Aunt Angus wanted to know if you'd sacrifice the lives of your animals and allow them to be ripped apart by the fox. She is under the impression you would allow the fox to destroy them while they are trapped in the aviary.

The animals you keep rely on you for protection.

Curious to know the answer to this too.
Personally, from my view, if a fox or anything else managed to actually get past all my security and was actively harming my animals, I wouldnt hesitate to resort to lethal force to protect them.
My birds arent just pets, they're family to me. And I don't see them any lesser in value than a fox, dog or cat.
But if I hadnt done all in my power to fence my animals in, and keep predators out, then I would be fully responsible to harm caused to them, or the predator. It's never the animals fault, and skipping all precautionary measures and simply killing wildlife- totally unacceptable.

 

[rumbleBee_STi]

I feel that we all have our right now I choose on how to deal with predators. I’m not one to judge. My leghorn hen was a victim of a fox attack… and it happened right below me. I didn’t see a thing, none of the chickens alerted. A few months later another fox tried to get to my Easter Eggers. Thankfully they all flew straight up onto our roof from a hill and no one was harmed.

Also, thank you for not showing the large thumb nails.

 

[mowin]

I dont call people barbaric or irresponsible, actually. But the action of killing a wild animal instead of fixing your security, is both barbaric and irresponsible, yes.

Sounds like you are to me. Don't agree with how I do things, that's fine. But ones LEGAL methods isn't barbaric and are ,in fact, quite responsible.
That predator has zero right to harass, or kill my livestock.

 

[bobbi-j]

Coyotes and fox in our area tend to get mange when they’re overpopulated. They are also likely to try to come into farmyards for an easy meal when they’re sick. Taking out the ones that come into the building site helps keep that population a bit more under control, assuring a healthy population. When muskrat pelts brought a good price, their numbers were also kept in check by trappers. Now that animal pelts have no value, no one traps, muskrats are sick and dying. In turn, the mink that used to eat the muskrats are starving. So there is a balance out there. What’s worse - a quick, humane death from a bullet, or an animal suffering and dying a slow death due to disease or starvation?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I once trapped a groundhog in a cage-trap. Didn't find it for a few hours. It committed suicide by bashing itself around in the cage and bled to death. Horrific death. I wonder, is that barbaric, since I set the trap?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Curious to know the answer to this too.
Personally, from my view, if a fox or anything else managed to actually get past all my security and was actively harming my animals, I wouldnt hesitate to resort to lethal force to protect them.
My birds arent just pets, they're family to me. And I don't see them any lesser in value than a fox, dog or cat.
But if I hadnt done all in my power to fence my animals in, and keep predators out, then I would be fully responsible to harm caused to them, or the predator. It's never the animals fault, and skipping all precautionary measures and simply killing wildlife- totally unacceptable.

That was my question. I think the answer was that they would just let it happen because the government would pay for damages to the aviary and for the loss of life. Not sure that I *could* be compensated for the loss of life. Someone else pointed out that maybe they were only referring to commercial operations. That may be a language-barrier thing that I never really got clarified.

I truly am interested in this. What a total 180 from how things are in the US. I wonder at the circumstances and values that led to preferring to let all of your chickens die in the aviary and then calling authorities to dispatch the fox, rather than just dispatching it yourself. The fox is still dead, only now the chickens are, too. Seems more prudent to kill the fox yourself so that at least you still have your flock. Make me wants to learn more about husbandry in other parts of the world. I wonder if it's because we tend to view our animals as pets vs just meals or dollar signs (kuna signs? euro signs?). I was hoping to find out, but I can find out from other sources rather than be subjected to name calling. It's all good. Maybe I WILL go to Croatia next year and make it a point to learn from open-minded locals.

 

[Aunt Angus]

then we dont disagree, I said "unless they are contained". As in, if they are contained to the best of your ability, then lethal force may be the only option.
Free ranging, and then killing any wild animal that dare take an easy meal, is barbaric and irresponsible.
We breed our domestic animals into existence, the burden of securing them is on us. It isnt the fault of the animal, but the owner entirely.

Freeranging. Not secured in a pen, or coop. Free ranging.

I have foxes in the garden alll the time. They come into the yard every single night. at times, they will be feet from the ducks, and my rabbit.
Never had any incident that was remotely close, because Ive ensured their pen, coop and enclosures are fully secured with a double barrier that they cannot get through or dig under.

I have my flock in a pen in a yard surrounded by electric fencing inside an electrified perimeter fence. A skunk was in my chicken yard. Not sure how it got in. So it happens. I don't think what you're saying is unreasonable at all.

 

[Captain13]

I boil it down to the situation we have here in the Southeast right now. Foxes carry rabies. A significant number of foxes and raccoons here get rabies. That’s why the Department of Natural Resources forces mandatory quarantine on any dog that has physical contact with a fox. Foxes are overpopulated here. It’s not uncommon to see them during daylight hours. They are aggressive and don’t necessarily back down from a human or canine confrontation. As a matter of fact, they can quickly become aggressive. There is plenty of wild food for them (rabbits, squirrels, wild geese, rats and mice, etc.). But they are opportunistic hunters that go where animals are penned up. I don’t spend my time, money and resources to raise food for foxes. If they are coming after my pets or food source, I will kill them. Last year, we had a breeding pair on our farm that I didn’t bother until the male started coming after my border collies (during the afternoon, I might add). I dispatched him and the female relocated her pups somewhere else. Chickens are a food source for us, not foxes. I will take whatever action needed to protect my animals. Oh yeah, the border collies were in a fence at the house and we bring them in at night for safety.

 

[Geena]

That was my question. I think the answer was that they would just let it happen because the government would pay for damages to the aviary and for the loss of life. Not sure that I *could* be compensated for the loss of life. Someone else pointed out that maybe they were only referring to commercial operations. That may be a language-barrier thing that I never really got clarified.

I truly am interested in this. What a total 180 from how things are in the US. I wonder at the circumstances and values that led to preferring to let all of your chickens die in the aviary and then calling authorities to dispatch the fox, rather than just dispatching it yourself. The fox is still dead, only now the chickens are, too. Seems more prudent to kill the fox yourself so that at least you still have your flock. Make me wants to learn more about husbandry in other parts of the world. I wonder if it's because we tend to view our animals as pets vs just meals or dollar signs (kuna signs? euro signs?). I was hoping to find out, but I can find out from other sources rather than be subjected to name calling. It's all good. Maybe I WILL go to Croatia next year and make it a point to learn from open-minded locals.

Perhaps it's because hunting tourism appears to be an important part of Croatia's economy. You wouldn't want ordinary citizens going around killing animals when you have tourists that will paid good money for the opportunity to hunt them.