The weather here lately has been more like Spring than Winter and I have seen 3 foxes dead on the side of the road in the last 2 weeks so kept thinking that I better start locking the chooks in their sheds at night...but of course didn't. I think I was lucky though as the foxes are around...Spring seems to be the time that they come out more, the mothers come in to teach their young how to hunt and people can lose all their flock. It has happened to us a couple of times and if I don't want it happening again then I need to remember the lockup at night routine.
How do I know that the foxes are here already? Well remember that
foxtrap we borrowed last year? We have had it set up out the back near the dam and every now and then we put fresh meat in it. Some of the remains from the roosters were used after the last culling. I try to remember to go out and check that there is nothing in it but hadn't for a couple of days. Lucky Hubby was home as he noticed a cow looking at the trap.
Gotcha! One less fox to worry about but we will need to be consistent with locking up at night and checking and rebaiting the trap throughout the coming months.
We will bury this somewhere but I wonder if we left this hanging somewhere if it would act as a deterrent to others. What do you think? Bury or hang somewhere?
Don't you really feel high when you trap a wild animal that is a predator after your food? I do. If you hang that up, foxes will avoid the area, I imagine. If you hang it near your chickens, I predict many many many flies and that it will no deterrent. Animals can be deterred from a spot, but the lure of food causes them to overcome their aversion to the deterrent. So, I don't think this will deter foxes from trying to get your hens. Bury it...lol.
ReplyDeleteMove the trap to a different place.
If you cut it open and throw to the hens, they will eat it.
I sm amazed the cow would come over to look at the fox.