Monday, December 2, 2013

Who Cares What the Fox Say?



We have a new visitor on the ranch and one that is not so welcome here in our part of the woods.  Although it is fun to look out the back window and see a fox frolicking in your backyard, it is also quite unnerving knowing that he or she is probably trying to figure out a way to devour your entire flock of hens.

It is also quite unnerving to see a fox and have that stupid song "The Fox" (What Does The Fox Say?) immediately come to mind.  If you haven't heard it, do not, I repeat, do not google it and watch it on YouTube.  It is not worth your time and you will never be able to view foxes the same after you hear the song.  I guarantee you, you will hear that song in the back of your head everything you see a fox.  Don't do it my friends, I am warning you.

I have seen this guy on two separate occasions now.  Once trotting down our driveway one morning and then again on Thanksgiving morning right in our backyard.  I took these pictures from my kitchen window.  He wasn't very concerned about his surroundings or my movement in the window which concerns me.  Most animals I see in the backyard immediately see me in the window because it is a large window and run away.  This guy was wandering around, sniffing here and there, went under the shed, and rubbed his face in a little pile of snow.

I was wondering if he was washing his face after devouring one of my chickens for Thanksgiving dinner but after I snapped his picture, Chris went outside to make sure the chickens were still safe in the coup.  They hadn't been let out yet.  We haven't lost many of our chickens to predators since we do secure them at night in the coup.

I haven't seen him since and I can't say that I am sad.  Like I said, although they are fun to see, I'd really rather not see them on my property, at least not so close to my chickens.