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I have been trying to find the time to get…

I have been trying to find the time to get an infra-red lamp working to see the Pond next to the Lake where the Otter killed a Fish that Julia told you about on her stay a Denbury a few weeks ago. The lamp is position to see the Otter if it attempts to get a Fish. We seem to have been fortunate up to now as it seems that the Otter is only visiting the Pond now and then. I have started to put an electric fence around the Pond but if the Otter does not cause e any problems I will leave it as it is and we may see it.

We were not so fortunate a few years back when we must have had an Otter visiting who had Pups. Every morning for weeks we would find the scale of our biggest Fish on the bank where the Otter had eaten the night before. Never did find their Holt. After we started to walk the dogs around the Lake we had a lot less problems. The Otter must not have liked the Dogs scent. Although it could well have been that the Otter had taken all of the biggest Fish and wasn’t to fussed about the others.

A lot of fisheries are having to close because of the Otter problem. Lakes are very expensive to protect from Otters, unless they have a mains electric supply they need expensive fencing. We are fortunate having electric close to the Lake so we can use electric fencing that is a less costly option. The Environment Agency needs to act to help fishery owners to protect their investments or there will be a decline of Otters when owners decide to take the law into their own hand and start killing Otters. The Otter was all but extinct in a lot of Counties, but with the reintroduction there are becoming to many and they are causing problems. The reason for them nearly becoming extinct was for one reason only, that was that the Otter was killing to many Fish in the Lakes, Rivers and Streams, Fish that people would catch and eat before transport made it possible for delivery of fresh Fish to shops. Otter hunting was carried out for that reason and that caused the decline of the Otter, not pesticide killing them. It is not rocket science all you need is to read Tarka the Otter. With the protection of our Lake that I have put in, that was also to protect the wildlife we as of yet have only had a small loss of our Fish.

About eight Canada Geese where on the Lake yesterday morning. Four were pairs who had been there for a couple of Days. One pair from last year. It made the Gander let the others know that the Goose was his and I saw them mating. When the others flew off they took with them one of the Ganders, so at the moment there are just three left. It is looking promising that on pair will nest as there are no arguments as yet with the Black Swans.

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webcams

I have been trying to find the time to get…

I have been trying to find the time to get an infra-red lamp working to see the Pond next to the Lake where the Otter killed a Fish that Julia told you about on her stay a Denbury a few weeks ago. The lamp is position to see the Otter if it attempts to get a Fish. We seem to have been fortunate up to now as it seems that the Otter is only visiting the Pond now and then. I have started to put an electric fence around the Pond but if the Otter does not cause e any problems I will leave it as it is and we may see it.

We were not so fortunate a few years back when we must have had an Otter visiting who had Pups. Every morning for weeks we would find the scale of our biggest Fish on the bank where the Otter had eaten the night before. Never did find their Holt. After we started to walk the dogs around the Lake we had a lot less problems. The Otter must not have liked the Dogs scent. Although it could well have been that the Otter had taken all of the biggest Fish and wasn’t to fussed about the others.

A lot of fisheries are having to close because of the Otter problem. Lakes are very expensive to protect from Otters, unless they have a mains electric supply they need expensive fencing. We are fortunate having electric close to the Lake so we can use electric fencing that is a less costly option. The Environment Agency needs to act to help fishery owners to protect their investments or there will be a decline of Otters when owners decide to take the law into their own hand and start killing Otters. The Otter was all but extinct in a lot of Counties, but with the reintroduction there are becoming to many and they are causing problems. The reason for them nearly becoming extinct was for one reason only, that was that the Otter was killing to many Fish in the Lakes, Rivers and Streams, Fish that people would catch and eat before transport made it possible for delivery of fresh Fish to shops. Otter hunting was carried out for that reason and that caused the decline of the Otter, not pesticide killing them. It is not rocket science all you need is to read Tarka the Otter. With the protection of our Lake that I have put in, that was also to protect the wildlife we as of yet have only had a small loss of our Fish.

About eight Canada Geese where on the Lake yesterday morning. Four were pairs who had been there for a couple of Days. One pair from last year. It made the Gander let the others know that the Goose was his and I saw them mating. When the others flew off they took with them one of the Ganders, so at the moment there are just three left. It is looking promising that on pair will nest as there are no arguments as yet with the Black Swans.

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Well well there are a few entries on the forum…

Well, well there are a few entries on the forum that are judging me for telling that if I cant protect our Chickens, Geese and Turkey with electric fencing I will have to shoot it. I may have misunderstood today’s entry by Maria that I am encouraging the Fox by feeding the Badgers. If it had not been for the Badgers in the first place there would never had been the Wildlife TV website and the web cams. So I make no apologises for feeding the Badgers. Before we started to feed the Badgers we had our Children’s Chickens taken by a Fox. Feeding the Badgers is not the cause of the Fox taking the Chickens.

Yesterday after leaving the Chickens, Geese and Turkey in their housing housing for two days we let them out to stretch their legs and our Black Rock Chicken was taken by the Fox, and that was even with us checking them every ten to fifteen minutes. And no Mick (Hampshire) it was not a Stoat or Mink, it was a Fox.

Unfortunately after having a very careful look at the possibility of electric fencing it will not be practical as there are to many access points and gates that are in constant use. I even considered a large fenced area for the Chickens, Geese and Turkey but the cost of such a structure is prohibitive and it takes away our choice of having the Birds free range and the Birds their freedom. I purchased the Geese as they were confined in an unsuitable area and I felt that they should have their freedom.

I like most welcomed the ban on hunting with dogs. But with no natural predator there is no way of that the Fox can be controlled other than them being shot. Why should they be controlled? There are to many. Even before the hunting ban their natural boundaries were extended into out Town and Cities where they are classed as vermin. Because of their scavenging for food around dustbins that have caused an increase in rat population. Hunting although I still believe is cruel, it is a much better option than shooting. They are even killed outright or get away. With shooting there is always the chance that the Fox will suffer weeks of agony with wounds.

I believe that all of our Wildlife is important and have over the years done more than most to protect it. I do not relish even the thought that it may be necessary to kill a Fox, but domesticated Animals and Birds are of no less of importance than than those in the Wild. I introduced the Chickens, Geese and Turkey to Denbury and I have a duty to protect them from predator. Is it right that the Birds are slaughtered, some times not even as a meal without giving them protection. It could be that some of you may feel that domesticated fowl are less important than a Fox. I don’t.

We know and feel for all of the Animals and Birds that we keep at Denbury, as you would your own Pets. Would you allow your pets to be attacked or killed without doing all you could to stop it? I spent many hours and a lot of money electric fencing the Lake to stop the Fox and Otter from killing the Canadian Geese. More for the Geese and Ducks than our Fish. It was a bonus that it protected both. Unfortunately electric fencing will not work to protect the Birds.

No doubt some of those judging me are the same who sit down to eat their Sunday joint and two veg. The joint that got its way to your table starting as a living Animal at a Farm, travelling maybe hundreds of miles in a crowded lorry to a livestock market. To be penned up for hours tightly packed waiting to go into the auction ring where they are prodded and poked to keep them moving, before being put back into their pens to wait hours to be shipped to holding farms before finishing up in a slaughter house, again waiting for hours smelling the fear of death before they are shot in the head or electrically stunned, hung up within seconds with the chance that their skins and hides are ripped off of their backs before they are properly dead. Or maybe you had a Chicken for your dinner. The same Chicken that was hooked upside down by one leg before having its throat cut still flapping its wings trying to escape why being plucked. Maybe you had Fish. The same Fish that was trawled and netted by the thousands. So much weight in the nets that other than those Fish at the top where squashed, then allowed to die a lingering death on the deck of a trawler. If it is necessary to kill a Fox it will be done to protect, not for gain

Sue, Middlesex. I don’t allow links.