How can i attract foxes to my new garden??

[conisag]

I've moved into a wonderful new home and I've been seeing a lot of foxes around my town lately, i was wondering if i put food out how they'd ever find it .i'im pretty sure they never cross my garden, and i've not seen any around the rounds surrounding my particular house.

If i put cat food/dog food out for them, will they eventually come to my garden/ or is it a chance thing?

[John Rhyder]

Buy some chickens, we just lost three to a fox after two and half years of having them completely free range and no previous problems. Our own fault for being complacent. Can't blame a fox for being a fox.

Otherwise in my experience if you are feeding birds etc and they are in your area they will find the food eventually.

John

[conisag]

Originally Posted by John Rhyder

Buy some chickens, we just lost three to a fox after two and half years of having them completely free range and no previous problems. Our own fault for being complacent. Can't blame a fox for being a fox.

Otherwise in my experience if you are feeding birds etc and they are in your area they will find the food eventually.

John

Im sorry to hear that john. like you said you cant blame a fox for being a fox. you can get sprays and the like to make them stay away, i also heard about something that burns there back sides when they try to xexexexe in your garden.

I left dog food out in a dog food bowl last night and sure enough it was all gone today. that said..how do i know who the culprit is?

[John Rhyder]

Hi Conisag

Thanks for the note of sympathy.

To find out what is taking your food I would create a track trap and put the bowl of dog food in the middle of it. Wet mud or better still some fine sand will do. You could then examine the tracks left in the morning. Of course it does rely a bit on there being no rain over night to wash out the tracks, if you do it regularly you should have some reasults by July!!

I hope this helps

John

[conisag]

Originally Posted by John Rhyder

Hi Conisag

Thanks for the note of sympathy.

To find out what is taking your food I would create a track trap and put the bowl of dog food in the middle of it. Wet mud or better still some fine sand will do. You could then examine the tracks left in the morning. Of course it does rely a bit on there being no rain over night to wash out the tracks, if you do it regularly you should have some reasults by July!!

I hope this helps

John

Thanks John, was gutted the snow wasn't still about as i could have checked the tracks, as soon as i let the dog out in the garden this morning (after I'd checked the bowl) he went down the garden and sniffed around it suspiciously maybe its because he could smell the food...or a fox, its the hard dry food if that makes any difference, im thinking it also could have rained made the food soggy and a cat or the birds could have had it.

[conisag]

Well whoever is taking the food visited again last night, i'm wondering whether it's birds taking the soggy food after it rains or if its definetly a fox taking it. i looked out the window a few times last night but i didn't see anything near the bowl, at about 22:00 i went out and checked the bowl and it hadnt been disturbed but it was raining but the food looked fine. got up today at about 9am and its ll gone and theres only droplets of water in the bowl?

[foxfan]

Hi
if you put a egg out,and its gone the next morning
i would guess foxes are visiting your garden,they take the eggs away from our garden but if they crack them they just suck out the inside and leave the shell

[Cowgirl]

Hi Conisag,

Could be a hedgehog?

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

Hi Conisag,

Could be a hedgehog?

Depending on the time of year of course. Hedgehogs hibernate and are not very active in the colder months although will wake to feed occasionally. Although prolonged feeding on eggs is more likely to be foxes in winter (or badgers). In rural areas I guess mustelids could also be a likelyhood although these will normally feed on it where they find it if there is enough cover, or roll it into cover if it is a small species like a weasel or stoat.

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Depending on the time of year of course. Hedgehogs hibernate and are not very active in the colder months although will wake to feed occasionally.

Doh! Of course, sorry I'll just go & put on my other head (the one with two, not one, brain cells!).