Relaxed Farming - our farm in your classroom

Bit of a scare last night! We had let the dogs out for their last wees and heard a tapping on the netting near the quail house: shining the torch in that direction we were somewhat shocked to see a very small fox looking back at us! He then slowly sauntered off into the main paddock and then out into the copse beyond our fencing. The quail seemed none the worse for their unwelcome visitor thank goodness but it reinforced the fact that we always need to make sure all our birds are securely locked away at night.
Foxes are clever and powerful, they can dig and climb and chew and most poultry owners will have at least one story to tell about birds they have lost to the fox (us included). The rise in popularity of keeping poultry has changed the fox's relationship with its environment in that when a fox gets into a chicken house or enclosure they will usually kill ALL the birds they can, even if they then only eat one. They don't do this for fun: they do it so they can then bury the surplus birds for later meals. This is a very sensible strategy for any predator and is used by many animals in the wild in case the next time they go 'hunting' they don't find any 'prey'.
The fact is that poultry keepers often keep lots of birds in a smaller space from which they cannot escape (very different to how birds live in the wild) and if a fox gets into this small space, instinct takes over!!
Thankfully, all our quail are quite safe. They do seem to be enjoying their new home: they have plenty of grass to eat and hide in, grit to break down their food and a sand tray for dust bathing. Providing as natural an environment as possible is very important, albeit contained within a wooden and netted frame.
Meanwhile our fabulous broody thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine today and introduced her new charges to their food, water AND grass! Gorgeous!