Farmer's concern after fox slaughters 50 chickens
A FARMER has spoken of his distress after 50 hens were slaughtered by foxes and more than £2,500 damage was caused to his chicken coops.
Brian Lester, 53, who is a dairy farmer based at Church Farm in Stretton, said foxes were responsible for the damage over two nights last weekend.
He now faces a hefty bill to replace his hen stock and the hen coops, which he says will cost more than 2,500.
Mr Lester said: "I've lived and operated from this farm for the last 30 years and we have never had a problem with foxes like this before.
"It is very distressing for them to kill so many in one night.
"We have now got to pay to replace the coops and we haven't got many hens left at the moment because we only keep between 50 and 60 at a time, so it is going to affect my livelihood.
"Things are difficult enough for farmers at the moment in the recession without something like this happening."
After the slaughter, Mr Lester employed a pest control man who shot five foxes but he believes more are on the prowl in the area.
He said: "I don't think it was just five foxes responsible for what has happened but I had to take action to protect the hens I've got left."
Mr Lester now wants to know if anyone else in the area has been affected.
He said: "I am suspicious because I don't think it is wild foxes that are responsible.
"It is unusual for so many hens to be killed at a time, it is just not normal behaviour for wild country foxes.
"We have never had foxes rip into the pens like they have done here. It was absolute chaos."
"I don't want to point the finger of blame at anyone but you do hear stories about urban foxes being released in rural areas and I think that has happened here."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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