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#21
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Tweed - OT chickens
"Cheryl" wrote in message eb.com... On 3/10/2013 5:08 PM, MaryL wrote: "Christina Websell" wrote in message ... "MaryL" wrote in message ... I thought of you when I heard a local news report last night. We have a lot of people in this area who keep a few backyard chickens, and the report talked about a woman who has a small business as a "chicken sitter." So, just as I use a pet sitter when I go on vacation (or once when I was in the hospital), people who have chickens and can't be home use her to take care of their chickens. She feeds them, puts them in at night, gathers eggs, etc. I thought this might interest you. MaryL Hi, Mary I've replied to this twice but for some some reason it hasn't appeared either time. So here goes again: Thank you for sending this, it was very interesting. We don't seem to have the same pet-sitting culture here as you do in the USA. Pet sitters do exist but are few and far between. I wouldn't mind being a chicken-sitter, but I'd be reluctant unless they were very nearby (like next door) because of the terrible daytime fox problem we have. I'd hate it if my clients got home to find all their chickens were ex-chickens. In the last few weeks a fox has entered a house and eaten the finger off a month old baby. Add this to a couple of years ago another fox went into a house and did some severe facial damage to baby twins. There is now a call for a cull of foxes in London. Once upon a time, before some of the nature programmes on the telly that encourage people to feed them, foxes were afraid of humans and only roamed around during the night - which is how it should be IMO. Tweed ~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks, Tweed. Your message came through this time. We do have a lot of pet sitters, but chicken sitters are rather unusual. I have a friend who was hospitalized for several weeks in December. She has cats, a dog, horses, two burros, chickens and a few ducks. Luckily, someone who lives near her was able to take care of all the "critters" while she was ill. Your description of problems with foxes is why I think we should not feed wild animals. I love to look at them, but feeding them destroys their fear of humans. That, in turn, becomes a danger both to humans and to the animals who have lost their fear. MaryL The story Tweed wrote is horrendous. I don't think a fox could get in my house, so I wonder how they get in? Your view about feeding wild animals should also pertain to feeding birds, but it's hard to stop feeding them when you enjoy watching them through your window. I stopped feeding birds because the food not only attracted birds, but squirrels, and encouraged the squirrels to bear their young here. Both the birds and the baby squirrels encouraged the large population of stray/feral cats in the area and while I love cats, I don't want to draw them here for a feeding fest. ~~~~~~~~ I stopped feeding birds at my former house because I felt like I was providing a smorgasbord of birds for neighboring cats. Once I moved into this house (about 15 years ago), I started feeding them again. I have an 8 foot cedar fence around the back yard, and it is very rare to see a cat inside the fence. I get a wide variety of birds, and I love watching them. I use squirrel proof feeders, and they have been very effective. The squirrels still get plenty to eat--I have some nut trees, and the squirrels get seed that the birds kick out of the feeders. I enjoy looking at the antics of the squirrels, but I could not afford the amount of food they would eat if I used feeders that they could get into. They are little gluttons! MaryL |
#22
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Tweed - OT chickens
"Bastette" wrote in message ... Christina Websell wrote: I would ban any TV programmes that suggest "why don't you feed your local foxes and here is someone doing it, look how nice they are" Foxes are not nice in the conventional sense of trustworthy doggies. They are fine as wild animals. I expect some people will carry on feeding but if they do, they might come into your house and bite your babies. The problem is, even if only some people feed them, they become habituated to *all* humans. Then, even people who have been responsible and have refrained from feeding them might still get a visit from a fox. The foxes aren't going to limit themselves to the babies of people who feed them. So if someone is continuing to feed foxes or other wild animals, it can affect everyone. It should be illegal! It's unfortunate that it has to come to you bringing in the fox hitman, but on the other hand, that might reintroduce some fear in the surviving foxes. -- Joyce It made me sick to do it as I like all animals. I did not want to have the foxes shot, but needs must. Something will need to be done about city foxes by the government soon. My problem is that I live 5 miles from a city and the vermin controllers trap them in the city and let them out two or three fields away from my house. Then they have a problem, no discarded fish and chips or McDonalds. Then they get hungry and because they have no idea how to hunt in the countryside they make themselves a nuisance around my chickens, and then they find themselves at foxy RB. Sad, isn't it? We need a fox control programme in our cities which doesn't involve letting them out *in the countryside* in the hope they can survive. ~They can't. |
#23
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Tweed - OT chickens
On 3/18/2013 7:39 PM, Christina Websell wrote:
It made me sick to do it as I like all animals. I did not want to have the foxes shot, but needs must. Something will need to be done about city foxes by the government soon. My problem is that I live 5 miles from a city and the vermin controllers trap them in the city and let them out two or three fields away from my house. Then they have a problem, no discarded fish and chips or McDonalds. Then they get hungry and because they have no idea how to hunt in the countryside they make themselves a nuisance around my chickens, and then they find themselves at foxy RB. Sad, isn't it? We need a fox control programme in our cities which doesn't involve letting them out *in the countryside* in the hope they can survive. ~They can't. I rarely see foxes here, but a couple of years ago I saw one across the street in a neighbors yard. Beautiful animals! But then, I don't have chickens that would need protection from them, so my view is different from your deserved one. I do agree with you that it's cruel to set them free where they have no experience hunting for food. |
#24
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Feeding Critters (WAS: Tweed - OT chickens)
On 3/18/2013 5:34 PM, MaryL wrote:
I stopped feeding birds at my former house because I felt like I was providing a smorgasbord of birds for neighboring cats. Once I moved into this house (about 15 years ago), I started feeding them again. I have an 8 foot cedar fence around the back yard, and it is very rare to see a cat inside the fence. I get a wide variety of birds, and I love watching them. I use squirrel proof feeders, and they have been very effective. The squirrels still get plenty to eat--I have some nut trees, and the squirrels get seed that the birds kick out of the feeders. I enjoy looking at the antics of the squirrels, but I could not afford the amount of food they would eat if I used feeders that they could get into. They are little gluttons! MaryL I feed the birds because yes, they are great fun to watch. It's been a hobby of mine for many years and I participate in bird counts. Of course Persia likes to chatter at them Fortunately the only cat who comes to my back yard is Schwartzie and he doesn't seem much interested in catching birds. I don't purposely feed the squirrels but they get their fill just the same. I had to take down the feeder because of raccoons. Raccoons are known to be natural born thieves and not just because of that cute little bandit mask. First I had a nice terra cotta feeder that hung by three metal chains joined together by a ring at the top. Raccoons knocked it down, ate the food and stole the chains! After a while I gave up on hanging feeders. One night when I heard a noise out back. I pulled back the curtain and looked out the glass door... there were *five* raccoons staring back at me. I looked towards the golf course and here came another one, then another one. OMG! (laughing) But back to squirrels. My neighbors keep telling me it never rains here. I've lived here for six years and I don't know what they're talking about. Maybe it only rains over my house? LOL A couple of years ago I got some covers to put over my patio chairs to keep the cushions from getting soaked. Similar to these: http://tinyurl.com/cg3un8b The chair covers had some sort of fluffy cotton batting on the underside. Well, the squirrels discovered this fluffy stuff last year. They ripped those chair covers to pieces to get at the fluff to line their nests. I removed the chair covers a week or so ago and boy did I get yelled at... by a squirrel! Jill |
#25
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Feeding Critters (WAS: Tweed - OT chickens)
On 3/22/2013 9:52 AM, jmcquown wrote:
On 3/18/2013 5:34 PM, MaryL wrote: I stopped feeding birds at my former house because I felt like I was providing a smorgasbord of birds for neighboring cats. Once I moved into this house (about 15 years ago), I started feeding them again. I have an 8 foot cedar fence around the back yard, and it is very rare to see a cat inside the fence. I get a wide variety of birds, and I love watching them. I use squirrel proof feeders, and they have been very effective. The squirrels still get plenty to eat--I have some nut trees, and the squirrels get seed that the birds kick out of the feeders. I enjoy looking at the antics of the squirrels, but I could not afford the amount of food they would eat if I used feeders that they could get into. They are little gluttons! MaryL I feed the birds because yes, they are great fun to watch. It's been a hobby of mine for many years and I participate in bird counts. Of course Persia likes to chatter at them Fortunately the only cat who comes to my back yard is Schwartzie and he doesn't seem much interested in catching birds. I don't purposely feed the squirrels but they get their fill just the same. I had to take down the feeder because of raccoons. Raccoons are known to be natural born thieves and not just because of that cute little bandit mask. First I had a nice terra cotta feeder that hung by three metal chains joined together by a ring at the top. Raccoons knocked it down, ate the food and stole the chains! After a while I gave up on hanging feeders. One night when I heard a noise out back. I pulled back the curtain and looked out the glass door... there were *five* raccoons staring back at me. I looked towards the golf course and here came another one, then another one. OMG! (laughing) But back to squirrels. My neighbors keep telling me it never rains here. I've lived here for six years and I don't know what they're talking about. Maybe it only rains over my house? LOL A couple of years ago I got some covers to put over my patio chairs to keep the cushions from getting soaked. Similar to these: http://tinyurl.com/cg3un8b The chair covers had some sort of fluffy cotton batting on the underside. Well, the squirrels discovered this fluffy stuff last year. They ripped those chair covers to pieces to get at the fluff to line their nests. I removed the chair covers a week or so ago and boy did I get yelled at... by a squirrel! Jill My mother has to bring in her bird feeder every night. There is something around at night that will get into it. She lives in the country so it could be any thing. Ann |
#26
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Ping: Tweed - OT chickens
On Tuesday, March 5, 2013 5:35:47 PM UTC-5, MaryL wrote:
I thought of you when I heard a local news report last night. We have a lot of people in this area who keep a few backyard chickens, and the report talked about a woman who has a small business as a "chicken sitter." So, just as I use a pet sitter when I go on vacation (or once when I was in the hospital), people who have chickens and can't be home use her to take care of their chickens. She feeds them, puts them in at night, gathers eggs, etc. I thought this might interest you. MaryL Ann, we have to bring in our feeder every night, because the deer will clean it out! We tried hanging it high up in the tree, but they stand on their hind legs and lick the seed out of the feeder. I don't mind feeding birds, but the deer can empty 5 pounds of seed from the feeder in a short time! Mishi |
#27
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Tweed - OT chickens
"Cheryl" wrote in message b.com... On 3/18/2013 7:39 PM, Christina Websell wrote: It made me sick to do it as I like all animals. I did not want to have the foxes shot, but needs must. Something will need to be done about city foxes by the government soon. My problem is that I live 5 miles from a city and the vermin controllers trap them in the city and let them out two or three fields away from my house. Then they have a problem, no discarded fish and chips or McDonalds. Then they get hungry and because they have no idea how to hunt in the countryside they make themselves a nuisance around my chickens, and then they find themselves at foxy RB. Sad, isn't it? We need a fox control programme in our cities which doesn't involve letting them out *in the countryside* in the hope they can survive. ~They can't. I rarely see foxes here, but a couple of years ago I saw one across the street in a neighbors yard. Beautiful animals! But then, I don't have chickens that would need protection from them, so my view is different from your deserved one. I do agree with you that it's cruel to set them free where they have no experience hunting for food. They are very nice to look at. That's most of the problem. It's why people feed them and then when they become a nuisance they ask vermin controllers to come in to trap them alive, which they do. Unfortunately most city vermin men don't have the gonads to kill them in the traps so they let them out near people like myself on the edge of the countryside. Oh, thank you *so* much. They are more up for wasps, mice and woodworm and should refuse the job of controlling nuisance foxes. It became pointless to even try to keep chickens here unless in Fort Knox-type runs and huts. after Foxman & myself had sent 39 foxes to RB in my catch alive trap, he said "you are getting them released from the city" Worst one was a huge butterball fat fox in my trap. In my hen run having been dumped near here. I found him in the morning, curled up happily in the trap and he hardly raised his eyebrow when he saw me, he was expecting some breakfast from me, like "oh thank goodness you have come.." Just let's say he didn't get his breakfast and it's the fault of people who feed them. I felt, well, imagine it for yourself. |
#28
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Tweed - OT chickens
"Christina Websell" wrote in message ... "Cheryl" wrote in message b.com... On 3/18/2013 7:39 PM, Christina Websell wrote: It made me sick to do it as I like all animals. I did not want to have the foxes shot, but needs must. Something will need to be done about city foxes by the government soon. My problem is that I live 5 miles from a city and the vermin controllers trap them in the city and let them out two or three fields away from my house. Then they have a problem, no discarded fish and chips or McDonalds. Then they get hungry and because they have no idea how to hunt in the countryside they make themselves a nuisance around my chickens, and then they find themselves at foxy RB. Sad, isn't it? We need a fox control programme in our cities which doesn't involve letting them out *in the countryside* in the hope they can survive. ~They can't. I rarely see foxes here, but a couple of years ago I saw one across the street in a neighbors yard. Beautiful animals! But then, I don't have chickens that would need protection from them, so my view is different from your deserved one. I do agree with you that it's cruel to set them free where they have no experience hunting for food. They are very nice to look at. That's most of the problem. It's why people feed them and then when they become a nuisance they ask vermin controllers to come in to trap them alive, which they do. Unfortunately most city vermin men don't have the gonads to kill them in the traps so they let them out near people like myself on the edge of the countryside. Oh, thank you *so* much. They are more up for wasps, mice and woodworm and should refuse the job of controlling nuisance foxes. It became pointless to even try to keep chickens here unless in Fort Knox-type runs and huts. after Foxman & myself had sent 39 foxes to RB in my catch alive trap, he said "you are getting them released from the city" Worst one was a huge butterball fat fox in my trap. In my hen run having been dumped near here. I found him in the morning, curled up happily in the trap and he hardly raised his eyebrow when he saw me, he was expecting some breakfast from me, like "oh thank goodness you have come.." Just let's say he didn't get his breakfast and it's the fault of people who feed them. I felt, well, imagine it for yourself. ~~~~~~~~~~ Do you think it would help to write a letter to whatever department is responsible for trapping them within the city? Let them know what a nuisance foxes are when they are released in the countryside, and also describe the fate that awaits them. Of course, I am also familiar with how private citizens within the city will often take little cats and dogs and release them in the country. I live in the city now, but this was a problem for us when I was growing up in the country. There was one year when *13* cats and kittens were dumped in our front yard. People seem to assume that those who live in the country have "plenty of room" for them, but most animals that are dumped that way are destined for a painful death. We fed the cats that were abandoned in that way, but most do not. By the end of that summer, all the cats except our own died because one of them had brought in disease, so only our vaccinated cats were protected. We could not afford to vaccinate all the cats that had been abandoned. MaryL |
#29
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Tweed - OT chickens
"MaryL" wrote in message ... "Christina Websell" wrote in message ... "Cheryl" wrote in message b.com... On 3/18/2013 7:39 PM, Christina Websell wrote: It made me sick to do it as I like all animals. I did not want to have the foxes shot, but needs must. Something will need to be done about city foxes by the government soon. My problem is that I live 5 miles from a city and the vermin controllers trap them in the city and let them out two or three fields away from my house. Then they have a problem, no discarded fish and chips or McDonalds. Then they get hungry and because they have no idea how to hunt in the countryside they make themselves a nuisance around my chickens, and then they find themselves at foxy RB. Sad, isn't it? We need a fox control programme in our cities which doesn't involve letting them out *in the countryside* in the hope they can survive. ~They can't. I rarely see foxes here, but a couple of years ago I saw one across the street in a neighbors yard. Beautiful animals! But then, I don't have chickens that would need protection from them, so my view is different from your deserved one. I do agree with you that it's cruel to set them free where they have no experience hunting for food. They are very nice to look at. That's most of the problem. It's why people feed them and then when they become a nuisance they ask vermin controllers to come in to trap them alive, which they do. Unfortunately most city vermin men don't have the gonads to kill them in the traps so they let them out near people like myself on the edge of the countryside. Oh, thank you *so* much. They are more up for wasps, mice and woodworm and should refuse the job of controlling nuisance foxes. It became pointless to even try to keep chickens here unless in Fort Knox-type runs and huts. after Foxman & myself had sent 39 foxes to RB in my catch alive trap, he said "you are getting them released from the city" Worst one was a huge butterball fat fox in my trap. In my hen run having been dumped near here. I found him in the morning, curled up happily in the trap and he hardly raised his eyebrow when he saw me, he was expecting some breakfast from me, like "oh thank goodness you have come.." Just let's say he didn't get his breakfast and it's the fault of people who feed them. I felt, well, imagine it for yourself. ~~~~~~~~~~ Do you think it would help to write a letter to whatever department is responsible for trapping them within the city? Let them know what a nuisance foxes are when they are released in the countryside, and also describe the fate that awaits them. No. As long as they don't have to deal with it. But this is the second time in London that foxes have got into a house and bitten tiny babies. It's up to them what they do about it. My preference is that foxes who attack babies should get a piece of lead inserted into their ear. Instantly. but city controllers cannot bring themselves to do it. so they let the foxes out near me. Luckily I have a man who can. |
#30
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Feeding Critters (WAS: Tweed - OT chickens)
"jmcquown" wrote in message ... On 3/18/2013 5:34 PM, MaryL wrote: I stopped feeding birds at my former house because I felt like I was providing a smorgasbord of birds for neighboring cats. Once I moved into this house (about 15 years ago), I started feeding them again. I have an 8 foot cedar fence around the back yard, and it is very rare to see a cat inside the fence. I get a wide variety of birds, and I love watching them. I use squirrel proof feeders, and they have been very effective. The squirrels still get plenty to eat--I have some nut trees, and the squirrels get seed that the birds kick out of the feeders. I enjoy looking at the antics of the squirrels, but I could not afford the amount of food they would eat if I used feeders that they could get into. They are little gluttons! MaryL Quick tip for anyone who doesn't have squirrel proof feeders, add chilli powder to your seed mix. Birds can't taste it but squirrels sure can.. |
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