Pooh Pictures

[dawn]

I've been doing it again Spent the lunch hour looking a pooh pictures, not chicken this time but fox and hedgehog.

Noticed it in the grass recently, not for the first time but I've taken more notice since I've had the chickens. Fox and hedgehog pooh seems to look so alike, but I think it's hedgehogs, at least I hope so. I know we have them in the garden, and no-one nearby has ever seen a fox here or lost chickens to one and there are lots of chickens in and around our village not all of which are secure at night.

Would there be any other signs if a fox was around at night ?

 

[Lucylou]

Apart from seeing the droppings we can tell because our dog always wants to roll in odd places - this is usually where the fox has been.
Don't know of any other signs but I'm sure someone will know!

 

[Tim]

Your best bet is to look along hedgerows for runs - these are usually found on the foxes 'normal' route. There will be a small trodden path with an almost round hole going into the hedgerow. If you look carefully the worn path will carry on through the hedgerow since it will be in constant nightly use.

I'd almost guarantee it would be a fox you are seeing - they mark their territory well (hence dogs going mad rolling) and will come back along the same route, night after night. Usually about the same sort of time.

If you left a dead carcass or something out, it would be gone in the morning.

The fox poos should have bits of what he's eating in it - fur, bones and so on. It can really stink and should be the size of a small dog poo. Hedgehogs on the other hand is much smaller about the size of a child's little finger.

I can't believe I'm talking about fox poo!

 

[Lucylou]

During the snow back in the winter, we saw a lot of paw prints in the garden & poo If I was in any doubt before I wasn't after that - definately a fox. At first I thought it might have been next doors cat but the size & shape of prints was different once I looked properly.

Quite interesting if it wasn't so scary for my chooks. :x

 

[Tim]

I think you just have to assume that a fox visits every night and will continue to do so.

You often hear "..the one night I didn't lock the chickens up, the fox came and took them"

But foxes drop by and take a look before moving on most nights, they have a routine and will take the same routes, so the one night you don't lock them up...

Then again, as they get more and more hungry, they will go to greater lengths to get a meal which is why they will dig or tear at weak points during the colder months when food is in short supply.

 

[dawn]

Thanks for the tips. I have always assumed great herds of foxes descend on my garden at night (if they come in herds ?). The chickens are in a house in a run at night, (both supposedly fox proof) and both are always shut up before dusk and not opened until it's well and truly light.

It's difficult to tell with the other signs though, we're surrounded by open fields, so no hedges to look at and the pooh is just randomly around the garden. Have had carcases (rabbits and game birds) outside at times overnight and they haven't been touched. Saw the hedgehog yesterday evening, just snuffling in the grass and quite happy for us to get up close, lovely.

 

[Tim]

You're probably OK then - it's probably Mr Hedgehog.

Foxes usually hunt alone unless the Vixen is teaching her cubs how to hunt. They are territorial and will not normally venture onto another's patch. They will communicate with their pack at night by barking and you can sometimes hear them doing this in the middle of the night.