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Fox at the Bird Feeder

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JEBar
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by JEBar » Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:04 pm

my reason for mentioning them is the absence of hair on the fox's tail .... I've only seen chronic wasting disease in deer but have seen mange in several different wild and domestic animals ..... I've also seen animals get into fights and lose some hair but none like that .... I'm sure your first hand assessment is on a much stronger footing than mine
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by Abnermal » Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:17 pm

My guess would be mange. I've seen it in foxes,raccoons and even groundhogs.
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by PT7 » Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:07 am

When I first read through this thread, CT, I neglected to ask you about your chicken coop. It is a cool-looking design, and of course I really like the looks of the wood, even w/o a Henry stock finish! :lol:
So, did you build it? What are the dimensions? How many chickens can you keep in it, and do you plan to get more? I can't quite figure the function of the two longer planks with the handles. How do you use those?

Nice home for your remaining chicken. But she looks a little like she might like some company. ;)
Thanks for posting your photo.
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CT_Shooter wrote:...For what it's worth, I do have a chicken and that fox has shown zero interest in her coop. I started out with three; one grew into a rooster and became dinner, a second hen was recently killed by a raccoon that burrowed under the coop at night.
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by CT_Shooter » Wed Apr 11, 2018 12:04 pm

PT7 wrote: It is a cool-looking design, and of course I really like the looks of the wood, even w/o a Henry stock finish! So, did you build it? What are the dimensions? How many chickens can you keep in it, and do you plan to get more? I can't quite figure the function of the two longer planks with the handles. How do you use those?
Thanks, PT7. I did build it (a few months before my wife was diagnosed with cancer) from plans I bought from Catawba Chicken Coop online at http://catawbacoops.com/

It is about eight feet long and is large enough for about six hens. I have only ever had three chickens. One was a rooster (which we ate) and one was mangled by a racoon last summer. Now, I only have one, but she's healthy and happy and lays about an egg per day.

The handles are so that two people can pick it up and move it around the yard, which we did for the first year. Since I'm alone, now, it basically stays in one place. It's very easy to clean and is perfect for a suburban backyard like mine.
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by CT_Shooter » Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:17 pm

I took the first picture (below) today. It broke my heart to see how quickly mange can destroy an animal. I've posted several pictures of this once glorious creature, and now I post this one. He's mostly blind, can barely hear, and is wasting away. His face is all scab -- crusty skin shutting his eyes, ears, and nose.

I watched him sift through some leaf debris that yesterday I fished out of my water garden filter system and dumped onto one of my vegetable beds. I rescued seven frogs and put them back in the water at the time. I watched as he ate. I'm sure he must have found a small frog, fish, tadpole or two that I missed. Then he walked to the water and drank for more than two minutes.

It breaks my heart to know that, according to the CT DEEP, it will take two to four months before he dies an increasingly painful death, all the while highly contagious to other animals, including pet dogs and cats. I couldn't find any information about reporting this animal to authorities for intervention. All I could find was a description of it's symptoms and a warning to keep pets indoors.

I'm conflicted. I want to kill him if I have a chance. I was able to get within ten feet of him today with my camera before he realized I was there and it took him more than a minute to discover me. If I decide to do it, I'll let you know whether I select the Crossman 2100 .177 pellet gun (pumped all the way) or my single shot 22LR bolt action rifle, both of which are illegal to kill a fox in my neighborhood. I'm conflicted.


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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by Cofisher » Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:35 pm

Tough duty that. I have had to put down several wild animals and it is never fun. Our thoughts are with you.
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by JEBar » Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:24 pm

I hated to be right about the mange .... its nasty stuff that has to be dealt with
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by PT7 » Wed Apr 11, 2018 9:48 pm

Sure sorry to read about and see the photos of that Red Fox's struggle now. And too easy to understand the conflict it's causing in you, CT.

Have you tried contacting your local animal control office in Chester? http://chesterct.org/town-services/animal-control/ Maybe that person could at least point you in the right direction for help, or they may intervene and take the fox down and relieve its suffering.

Trusting and hoping for the best outcome....
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CT_Shooter wrote:It breaks my heart to know that, according to the CT DEEP, it will take two to four months before he dies an increasingly painful death, all the while highly contagious to other animals, including pet dogs and cats. I couldn't find any information about reporting this animal to authorities for intervention. All I could find was a description of it's symptoms and a warning to keep pets indoors.

I'm conflicted. I want to kill him if I have a chance. I was able to get within ten feet of him today with my camera before he realized I was there and it took him more than a minute to discover me. If I decide to do it, I'll let you know whether I select the Crossman 2100 .177 pellet gun (pumped all the way) or my single shot 22LR bolt action rifle, both of which are illegal to kill a fox in my neighborhood. I'm conflicted.
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by CT_Shooter » Thu Apr 12, 2018 6:49 am

PT7 wrote: Have you tried contacting your local animal control office in Chester? http://chesterct.org/town-services/animal-control/ Maybe that person could at least point you in the right direction for help, or they may intervene and take the fox down and relieve its suffering.
I didn't call them because on their webpage, they redirect issues with wildlife to DEEP, but I'll call them both today to see if there are any options. Thanks.
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Re: Fox at the Bird Feeder

Post by CT_Shooter » Thu Apr 12, 2018 9:25 am

PT7 wrote: Have you tried contacting your local animal control office in Chester? http://chesterct.org/town-services/animal-control/ Maybe that person could at least point you in the right direction for help, or they may intervene and take the fox down and relieve its suffering.
I called DEEP this morning. Their advice is to call the local police, who are the only folks authorized to "dispatch" the animal. If I see him again, I will call. Our small town has a single resident state trooper who supervises two part time town police officers (and there's one vacancy right now), so it may not work out that anyone would get here in time, anyway.
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