Has a fox ever got into your chicken food?

[AuntieWeasel]

I keep my chicken food in a big plastic bin with clips on either side next to the chicken house. About a week ago, something got one of the clips off and got inside, tearing a hole in a (brand new) 20 kilo bag of layer's pellets and a (brand new) bag of cracked corn . A little damage, a little food spread around, nothing major. I assumed it was a fox and he wouldn't be back because, y'know, foxes don't eat chicken pellets.

But he's been back two or three times since, really torn at the bag and spread the pellets all over the inside of the bin. I've taken to clamping it shut, but if I forget, he's back in the bin - meaning, disturbingly, he's checking every night.

I'm in the South of England, so there aren't many creatures it could be. I think a badger would make more mess of the garden and I don't think a mink would be up to it (and would probably find a way in to the chickens instead). Any thoughts?

 

[AuntieWeasel]

That tears it! I put a C clamp on the lid last night, and my predator broke into the bin from the other end and left the lid off all night. It rained heavily. Now I have a bin full of 20 kilos of wet cement. The chooks will have to live on corn until the feed store opens tomorrow.

I know, that's like asking kids to live on cake and ice cream.

I'm seriously flexed at this beastie; now I'll have to keep the chicken food inside the house and dole it out. Time for the wildlife camera.

 

[swampfox440]

Sounds like a Racoon . Do you have coons you live ?

 

[AuntieWeasel]

Nope. The range of wildlife here is really limited. I'm from the States, so it's really striking to me how few varmints there are in rural England. It's really just foxes, badgers, some form of weasel, domestic dogs and cats. When you hear a commotion in the hen house, the most dangerous thing it could possibly be is a human.

I had pet raccoons as a child. Oh, those clever hands could work out all sorts of latches.

 

[cmom]

Do you have a camera you can put up so you will know for sure. I've never had an issue with my feed and there are a lot of different predators here as I'm sure you are aware of being from the states. Good luck...

 

[AuntieWeasel]

Thanks. Yes. I dug the CCTV out of storage and lookee here:

Young badger. Almost certainly a bachelor. Males get kicked out of the sett when they're about a year old and have to forage for themselves. This one was only interested in chicken food (not so much the chickens), so I just don't store it outside any more. It's a pain, but there you go.