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Ping: Tweed - OT chickens



 
 
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  #21  
Old March 18th 13, 10:34 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
MaryL[_2_]
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Posts: 1,184
Default 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  
Old March 19th 13, 12:39 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Christina Websell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,983
Default 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  
Old March 19th 13, 12:48 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Cheryl[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,078
Default 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  
Old March 22nd 13, 02:52 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
jmcquown[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,008
Default 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  
Old March 22nd 13, 04:13 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Ann791
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 679
Default 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  
Old March 22nd 13, 04:58 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Mishi[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 427
Default 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  
Old March 22nd 13, 06:36 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Christina Websell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,983
Default 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  
Old March 22nd 13, 07:19 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
MaryL[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,184
Default 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  
Old March 22nd 13, 09:16 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Christina Websell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,983
Default 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  
Old March 23rd 13, 07:42 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Christina Websell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,983
Default 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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