Home, home on the range ... where the turkeys and Mr Fox play
I BOUGHT some Bronze Norfolk turkeys last autumn, cute little things barely three weeks old.
So far I've resisted naming them and so my plans to produce some free range birds for the table were going well.
Corn fed every morning I've let out the birds so they can roam freely until about an hour before dusk. The weather has been brilliant these last few days and they've really enjoyed themselves having dust baths and stalking around the undergrowth.
However, every day for the last three days a bird has disappeared and the culprit was spotted hanging around today, bold as brass and in broad daylight.
A young fox, who probably has his own cubs to feed, is now looking like the prime suspect responsible for the daring day time raids on my small-holding.
Foxes normally go in for mass killings but this sly dog has embarked on a hit and run exercise leaving no evidence or trail or even feathers.
I can either keep the birds locked up in a dark stable or let them roam free until Mr Fox takes the very last one. Neither option is desirable and so we've decided to slaughter the birds since they've all reached a good weight anyway.
As hubby said: "I'm damned if we've reared them to feed that bloody fox." He-who-should-be-obeyed-but-rarely-is is now busy sharpening his knife while I give my birds their last feed.
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STUFFED: No more turkeys for the fox
like the one above.
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I BOUGHT some Bronze Norfolk turkeys last autumn, cute little things barely three weeks old.
So far I've resisted naming them and so my plans to produce some free range birds for the table were going well.
Corn fed every morning I've let out the birds so they can roam freely until about an hour before dusk. The weather has been brilliant these last few days and they've really enjoyed themselves having dust baths and stalking around the undergrowth.
However, every day for the last three days a bird has disappeared and the culprit was spotted hanging around today, bold as brass and in broad daylight.
A young fox, who probably has his own cubs to feed, is now looking like the prime suspect responsible for the daring day time raids on my small-holding.
Foxes normally go in for mass killings but this sly dog has embarked on a hit and run exercise leaving no evidence or trail or even feathers.
I can either keep the birds locked up in a dark stable or let them roam free until Mr Fox takes the very last one. Neither option is desirable and so we've decided to slaughter the birds since they've all reached a good weight anyway.
As hubby said: "I'm damned if we've reared them to feed that bloody fox." He-who-should-be-obeyed-but-rarely-is is now busy sharpening his knife while I give my birds their last feed.
Aww poor fox. I hope he or she can find other stuff to eat
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