Legalise Fox Hunting back in England. Yes or No?

[coxrb13]

Why don't you learn to put your chickens away at night? It's not hard, if one gets taken its YOUR FAULT because it wasnt safe. Learn to look after your chickens.

Thing is I put my birds to bed every night in a safe coop. Yet there is always a way for a fox to come in and kill not just one but most of them for sport. So why don't we play them at the same game. They kill for sport we kill them for sport. I think that's fair.

 

[SirOfSilkies]

As chicken owners, it is our duty to keep our coops secure from predators.and if there is ALWAYS a way for the fox to get in, I strpngly think you should do a walk around your coop, and even the slightest potential problem should be fixed. I had to do that with mine when the neighbors cat took an interest in my pullets

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

There are definitely ways to predator proof a coop so that foxes can't get in. Raccoons are a bit more tricky, as they can tear holes through things to enter a coop if they are really determined. However, predator proofing a coop is not always easy or cheap, and so people seem to be more likely to shoot or trap the predator. The issue with this is that there is always another behind it waiting to fill the previous predator's place.

I've had a fox take birds right in front of me during the day, so it can be tricky. What seems to work for us is keeping the bird enclosed in a covered pen during the times of the year when the foxes are most active, especially in the Spring. Keeping a radio playing in the area helps if we are not in the yard. Around the coop I built a small rock wall to prevent digging under the pen. As long as I do general maintenance on the coop to fix rusting or broken chicken wire, the predators have not been able to get in.

I'm not against hunting and I certainly think some animal populations could benefit from a bit of population control. However, there are a lot of other solutions you can try that may help prevent losses in the future, despite persistent presence of predators.

 

[coxrb13]

You have a fox which walks through walls now? A fox does not kill for sport ever, you are completely wrong their I'm afraid. It will kill as many as it can, and without disturbance will come back and take everyone to his den. That is ofcoarse if somebody is stupid enough to leave their chickens unprotected. As soon as you kill a fox another will take it's place, pointless action, what sport is there when the fox is running away and unarmed? You must be a big man haha.

See I wouldn't mind the odd one being taken if it is going to kill and eat but when it just kills as many as it can I would call that sport. It enjoys the hunt just like a cat enjoys playing with its food. But as I have daid the fix has no natural predator so their numbers are always rising so if we bring back fox hunting it will help control numbers. This way we get to enjoy the sport hunting just like the fox. Plus it is in our blood to hunt and you can't just take that away so there is no problem.

 

[JoshTheVegan02]

Foxes have been living here for longer than us and it's not their fault they need to eat. Chances of getting the hunting ban relaxed are getting slimmer by the day. There are more people wanting it to stay than wanting it to go so I would suggest you add more protection to you coops because no animal should have to die, wether it be a chicken or a fox.

 

[123RedBeard]

So ... Is letting the population of foxes get out of control (too many) the kindest way to let the fox die its natural death of starvation, rabies, or some sickness?

Many states over here us hunting as a way to control the population and have a healthy population of the game animals ...

 

[JoshTheVegan02]

So ... Is letting the population of foxes get out of control (too many) the kindest way to let the fox die its natural death of starvation, rabies, or some sickness?

Many states over here us hunting as a way to control the population and have a healthy population of the game animals ...

Nature is carefully balanced so there are just the right amount of foxes to live on their prey. Chances of them overpopulating naturally are slim unless humans get involved.

 

[HenFriend]

A lot of the people who hunt around here are from the farming community. I understand using pest control to protect your livelihood or pets but there is a difference between killing outright with a clean shot and chasing down an animal with a pack of dogs and ripping it apart.

 

[123RedBeard]

So ... Is letting the population of foxes get out of control (too many) the kindest way to let the fox die its natural death of starvation, rabies, or some sickness?

Many states over here us hunting as a way to control the population and have a healthy population of the game animals ...

Nature is carefully balanced so there are just the right amount of foxes to live on their prey. Chances of them overpopulating naturally are slim unless humans get involved.

Ha Ha!

I suppose that works for deer too???

 

[123RedBeard]

A lot of the people who hunt around here are from the farming community. I understand using pest control to protect your livelihood or pets but there is a difference between killing outright with a clean shot and chasing down an animal with a pack of dogs and ripping it apart.

Yeah, like the fox (or other canines) uses a nice calm needle ... To put their dinner to sleep ... Nature is not always as pretty as the books make it out!