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Chickens....ducks etc.

I lost a number of ducks to badgers - ripped the back off a tongue and groove shed :( They killed my very first ducks I got - wee Call ducks - heading for 20 years old. I lost hens to next door's dogs too :mad:, but never suffered a fox attack. Not seen any sign of foxes up here, fingers crossed. It's the chance we take when we keep animals, though.
 
I lost a number of ducks to badgers - ripped the back off a tongue and groove shed :( They killed my very first ducks I got - wee Call ducks - heading for 20 years old. I lost hens to next door's dogs too :mad:, but never suffered a fox attack. Not seen any sign of foxes up here, fingers crossed. It's the chance we take when we keep animals, though.
Fox attacks on small livestock down here are all to frequent especially in town
 
Well my ducklings have just gone to their new home, friend of Wendy's who owns a small holding. Several other ducks and geese,all family pets
 
I've kept both ducks and geese in the past. I've also kept Kune Kune pigs. These days I keep sheep (a royal pain in the backside) mixed breed chickens (a complete pleasure) and bees. I get a great deal of pleasure from my bees, they're very easy to keep.
If I had enough land I'd go for bantams,ducks and pygmy goats oh and good morning all
 
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We have kept pigs in the past. First lot we kept through the winter and discovered they put all their food into keeping warm and there wasn't enough fat on them. Now we keep them over summer - buying weaners and taking them to the abattoir before the cold weather. We don't have any this year as there's still plenty meat in the freezer. We buy in food as you can't feed them anything that's gone through a domestic kitchen. They do get past its best veg out of the garden though. The cost? About the same as good quality meat (not supermarket basics). The previous owner of this place kept chickens but a fox got the lot one night so we didn't even start.
 
We've lost poultry to foxes and polecats in the past, I tend to leave the foxes alone until we get a new one in the area that doesn't know the rules. The hens are shut in at night, then the foxes can do exactly what they like but if I see them scouting about during the day while the hens are free ranging I'll shoot the fox without any regrets.
Most country foxes learn to avoid human habitation, unfortunately there is a charity that releases feral city foxes into the countryside, these foxes aren't hunters they're scavengers, since they have no fear of humans they're a danger to poultry.
 
Hi Bill, we had 4 hens up in Yorkshire. They were easy to keep. Cleaned out the nesting area once a week. Used clean sawdust from local animal feed shop. Great to have fresh eggs and the hens all have their own personality. Gave them away when we moved to Devon. Daughter has 3 and I am thinking of getting a few.
 
Hi Bill, we had 4 hens up in Yorkshire. They were easy to keep. Cleaned out the nesting area once a week. Used clean sawdust from local animal feed shop. Great to have fresh eggs and the hens all have their own personality. Gave them away when we moved to Devon. Daughter has 3 and I am thinking of getting a few.
As you know Dick those fresh eggs are something special
 
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