Should I feed my Urban Foxes (1 Viewer)

The Raptor · Dec 17, 2005

I would like to know what other Birforum members think of feeding local Urban Foxes. I have had conflicting views about this matter, ranging from you never should to yes it's O K.

My wife & I tend to put out some food almost every night. The food ranges from meat (no pork), peanuts & sweet items like jam sandwiches & cakes, not all at the same time I might add.

Rod.

James Eaton · Dec 17, 2005

Hi Rod, completely up to you, personally though, I would never feed the foxes in my garden, just encourages them, eventually they will expect food everynight and if it isn't there, prepared to get the your bins raided! More conflict with man, there can be no postives in my eyes of feeding foxes, they live in the wild and know how to fend for themselves.

Fantastic animals to watch close up though!

baillieswells · Dec 17, 2005

The Raptor said:
I would like to know what other Birforum members think of feeding local Urban Foxes. I have had conflicting views about this matter, ranging from you never should to yes it's O K.

My wife & I tend to put out some food almost every night. The food ranges from meat (no pork), peanuts & sweet items like jam sandwiches & cakes, not all at the same time I might add.

Rod.

Foxes are vermin and should not be encouraged. I have personal knowledge in my own garden of them taking a clutch of pheasant eggs and several young Mallard and also a fledgling Little Owl. Though I have five Border Terriers, I bring them in at night. If they are out they will kill any fox which gets through the dog proof fence. (I sent one of mine to Ireland where she goes round the farms which have fox problems. In four years she has over 100 kills to her name).

So please don't feed them

deborah4 · Dec 18, 2005

The Raptor said:
I would like to know what other Birforum members think of feeding local Urban Foxes. I have had conflicting views about this matter, ranging from you never should to yes it's O K.

My wife & I tend to put out some food almost every night. The food ranges from meat (no pork), peanuts & sweet items like jam sandwiches & cakes, not all at the same time I might add.

Rod.

Rod

Contrary to some members feelings about foxes, I am FORTUNATE enough to have a fox regularly visiting the back garden. He lives next door I think. This fox is stunning with chocolate tips on his feet and tail and boasts a healthy thick winter coat. I have put food out but only intermittently because I don't want to create dependance - which I suspect is the thinking behind your question. I came home from work this morning (work nights) my view from the train journey included Herons, Kestrels, saw a Jay was outside the Station then arrived home to see the fox in my Garden - What a great end to a boring night shift at work! - sadly, was totally unprepared, end of film' in my SLR and batteries flat in Digital!!

As far as foxes being 'vermin', I don't keep chickens, cats (I wish he'd eat the neighbour's 3

) or have any other interest which conflicts with his presence. As far as raiding the rubbish, a pair of rubber gloves, a bin liner and 10 minutes of my time is a small price to pay for the privillege of such bio-diversity in a truly urban Victorian garden.

I would feed any animal that looked dangerously mal nourished but as I said, I would be really wary of creating dependance and I would be reticent to put high sugar content food out as this rots the teeth and could cause metabolism problems. Our urban foxes somehow seem to thrive, Baby seagulls are their favourite diet around here (another type of 'vermin' according to some!) but not many around in December!

Deborah

Tannin · Dec 18, 2005

I don't think it is possible for a native creaure to be classified as vermin. Here in Australia, of course, it is an entirely different matter, and like anyone else who knows anything at all about nature I would extrminate the entire population in a heartbeat if I could. Beautiful creatures, but they don't belog here.

Foxes in cities? Interesting question. We have them too. I saw one in Footscray the other day - an inner suburb of Melbourne. It looked as though it liked the city a lot better than I do.

Keith Reeder · Dec 18, 2005

Hi Tannin,

we do tend to class "inconvenient" native species over here as vermin - magpies, wood pigeons etc - and rightly so, when they're clearly damaging to crops, wildlife, property and whatnot.

But if I had foxes coming into my garden I'd feed them without any hesitation: then again, I'm happy to have magpies and wood pigeons around too.

In fact, I pretty much agree with Deborah's take on "vermin".

Such farmland as there is near me is almost totally arable, and - frankly - if the presence of foxes in my garden would stop the local cats from crapping on my patio..!

Tannin · Dec 18, 2005

Vermin:
1. Various small animals or insects, such as rats or cockroaches, that are destructive, annoying, or injurious to health.
2. Animals that prey on game, such as foxes or weasels.
3. (a) A person considered loathsome or highly offensive.
3. (b) Such people considered as a group.

Hmm ...... looks like you are right, Keith. I withdraw my objection to the term. Still .... would I ever use "vermin" to describe a native animal? Thinking about it, no, not even for a blowfly. Or, seeing as this is Australia I'm posting from, 4,369,765,324 blowflies.

(I might use some other words though, which I'll not repeat here.)

rezMole · Dec 18, 2005

I had foxes in my (communal) garden a year or so ago. I fed the female, and after a while she even took food from my hand - and even used to enter my flat. It did get to be a pain when she started to scratch on the patio door every night for me to feed her!

Whilst i enjoyed feeding her - and her cubs - it was perhaps not the best thing to do. The whole family seemed to become infected with mange, and i suspect my feeding them didn't help, as it meant they were less likly to catch their own food.

I managed to get some medicine to give them for the mange, but alas, it was too late, and within a couple of weeks they stopped coming and i suspect they probably died. If you do feed them, it is important to feed them the correct food. I was informed (by a fox rescue society who provided the medicine) that the best food is raw liver and marmite! Apparently, urban foxes suffer greatly from mange and other diseases which they are unable to fight off due to very poor diet.

Now I occasionally see the odd fox in the garden again - but i now don't attempt to feed them.

As for them being vermin - who cares! I enjoy seeing them (and hedgehogs, mice and rats too). In my opinion, there's only one animal i'd class as vermin - and i'd not advocate getting rid of us quite yet!

The Raptor · Dec 18, 2005

deborah4 said:
Rod

Contrary to some members feelings about foxes, I am FORTUNATE enough to have a fox regularly visiting the back garden. He lives next door I think. This fox is stunning with chocolate tips on his feet and tail and boasts a healthy thick winter coat. I have put food out but only intermittently because I don't want to create dependance - which I suspect is the thinking behind your question. I came home from work this morning (work nights) my view from the train journey included Herons, Kestrels, saw a Jay was outside the Station then arrived home to see the fox in my Garden - What a great end to a boring night shift at work! - sadly, was totally unprepared, end of film' in my SLR and batteries flat in Digital!!

As far as foxes being 'vermin', I don't keep chickens, cats (I wish he'd eat the neighbour's 3 ) or have any other interest which conflicts with his presence. As far as raiding the rubbish, a pair of rubber gloves, a bin liner and 10 minutes of my time is a small price to pay for the privillege of such bio-diversity in a truly urban Victorian garden.

I would feed any animal that looked dangerously mal nourished but as I said, I would be really wary of creating dependance and I would be reticent to put high sugar content food out as this rots the teeth and could cause metabolism problems. Our urban foxes somehow seem to thrive, Baby seagulls are their favourite diet around here (another type of 'vermin' according to some!) but not many around in December!

Deborah

Thanks Deborah for some great advice, everything you say sounds very good, so I think I will only put out food for the Foxes a couple of days a week.

I can never understand why wild animals are called vermin. Rod.

The Raptor · Dec 18, 2005

Keith Reeder said:
Hi Tannin,

we do tend to class "inconvenient" native species over here as vermin - magpies, wood pigeons etc - and rightly so, when they're clearly damaging to crops, wildlife, property and whatnot.

But if I had foxes coming into my garden I'd feed them without any hesitation: then again, I'm happy to have magpies and wood pigeons around too.

In fact, I pretty much agree with Deborah's take on "vermin".

Such farmland as there is near me is almost totally arable, and - frankly - if the presence of foxes in my garden would stop the local cats from crapping on my patio..!

Well said Keith.

The Raptor · Dec 18, 2005

rezMole said:
I had foxes in my (communal) garden a year or so ago. I fed the female, and after a while she even took food from my hand - and even used to enter my flat. It did get to be a pain when she started to scratch on the patio door every night for me to feed her!

Whilst i enjoyed feeding her - and her cubs - it was perhaps not the best thing to do. The whole family seemed to become infected with mange, and i suspect my feeding them didn't help, as it meant they were less likly to catch their own food.

I managed to get some medicine to give them for the mange, but alas, it was too late, and within a couple of weeks they stopped coming and i suspect they probably died. If you do feed them, it is important to feed them the correct food. I was informed (by a fox rescue society who provided the medicine) that the best food is raw liver and marmite! Apparently, urban foxes suffer greatly from mange and other diseases which they are unable to fight off due to very poor diet.

Now I occasionally see the odd fox in the garden again - but i now don't attempt to feed them.

As for them being vermin - who cares! I enjoy seeing them (and hedgehogs, mice and rats too). In my opinion, there's only one animal i'd class as vermin - and i'd not advocate getting rid of us quite yet!

Some good advice rezmole, thanks. It is true, are we the vermin. Rod

deborah4 · Dec 18, 2005

The Raptor said:
Thanks Deborah for some great advice, everything you say sounds very good, so I think I will only put out food for the Foxes a couple of days a week.

Sure - but don't let them starve on my behalf Rod, I'm no expert on this!

I can never understand why wild animals are called vermin. Rod.

Me neither!

( :cat: "Quick! Hide! - there's a FOX coming! 8-P )

Anthony Morton · Dec 19, 2005

rezMole said:
... Apparently, urban foxes suffer greatly from mange and other diseases which they are unable to fight off due to very poor diet.

As carriers of sarcoptic mange the foxes can pass it on to the local population of dogs and cats.

And I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if Fido next door cops a dose of mange and your neighbour realises that it's probably down to 'your' foxes!

baillieswells · Dec 19, 2005

Anthony Morton said:
As carriers of sarcoptic mange the foxes can pass it on to the local population of dogs and cats.

And I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if Fido next door cops a dose of mange and your neighbour realises that it's probably down to 'your' foxes!

In the UK the fox has no natural predator. (Obviously humans kill a large number on the roads). Therefore, and never mentioned by the anti-hunting brigade, most foxes die a slow and horrible death from starvation when they become too old and infirm to hunt and kill their prey.(Many old foxes were of course killed off by the hunts, now banned in England and Wales). To feed a sick fox will only prolong its death, similar by feeding an urban fox its natural instinct to hunt may be reduced. As mentioned a mangy fox is a danger to cats and dogs

Otto McDiesel · Dec 19, 2005

I don't think fox are vermin, because they can be very useful. You can trap them in winter and skin them, and have them turned into a warm coat that will come handy when the big freeze happens because the Gulf Stream stops, because the global warming and all that.
On a more serious note:
1. foxes are a renewable resource
2. Many foxes means few ground nesting birds
3. if you ever decide to feed them, make sure that you are there to see them agonizing from distemper in an all-out density dependent population crash. that'll teach you not to feed them anymore.

rezMole · Dec 20, 2005

baillieswells said:
As mentioned a mangy fox is a danger to cats and dogs

Not sure this is strictly true. My cat was often in very close proximity to the fox, and she never "caught" mange. Mange tends to only "attack" unfit animals. Mange seems to strike urban foxes more than rural ones - it is particularly rife around the Manchester area - propably due to poor diet.

Some good info can be found here: http://www.derbyfoxes.org/index.htm
- these are the people who sent me the medicine to treat the mange infected foxes - but this really is a last resort.
PS
Digestive biscuits, liberally spread with marmite, is a good vitimin source for foxes.

Anthony Morton · Dec 20, 2005

rezMole said:
Not sure this is strictly true. My cat was often in very close proximity to the fox, and she never "caught" mange. Mange tends to only "attack" unfit animals. Mange seems to strike urban foxes more than rural ones - it is particularly rife around the Manchester area - propably due to poor diet.

Some good info can be found here: http://www.derbyfoxes.org/index.htm
- these are the people who sent me the medicine to treat the mange infected foxes - but this really is a last resort.
PS
Digestive biscuits, liberally spread with marmite, is a good vitimin source for foxes.

Hi rezMole,

I'm afraid I must disagree with you about mange only affecting unfit animals.

If you check the information under 'mange' in the url you have given it clearly states that healthy animals can be affected as well. In fact the mange mite can also attack humans!

Anthony

rezMole · Dec 20, 2005

Anthony Morton said:
Hi rezMole,

I'm afraid I must disagree with you about mange only affecting unfit animals.

If you check the information under 'mange' in the url you have given it clearly states that healthy animals can be affected as well. In fact the mange mite can also attack humans!

Anthony

I didn't mean that healthy foxes WOULDN'T get it, merely that they are more able to recover. Sorry if i misled.

Anthony Morton · Dec 25, 2005

rezMole said:
I didn't mean that healthy foxes WOULDN'T get it, merely that they are more able to recover. Sorry if i misled.

Hi rezMole,

No problems from my point of view.

I found the following no nonsense, no frills site about urban foxes while looking for something else and thought it might be of general interest.

http://www.rte.ie/radio/mooneygoeswild/factsheets/fox/

Regards,

Anthony

deborah4 · Dec 26, 2005

Anthony Morton said:
I found the following no nonsense, no frills site about urban foxes while looking for something else and thought it might be of general interest.

http://www.rte.ie/radio/mooneygoeswild/factsheets/fox/

Regards,

Anthony

You're right Anthony - it's a good down to earth read. Interesting that fox-mange could be treated by medicated food left out, and pleased to see writer suggests co-habitation with human city dwellers is not generally problematic.

Should I feed my Urban Foxes (1 Viewer)

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