We have a few foxes around here, they are never a problem, as I am not interested in chooks. We do have 4 geese, basically as watchdogs, rather than a food source, but they are a match for any fox. They must have a truce with one that comes up most nights around the granny flat, looking for any food my sons cat may have left.

The roos are a damn nuisance. Not now when there is plenty of feed on the large grazing properties, but when it is dry. We can have a mob of over 50 on 3 neighbouring 20 acre blocks, as we have few stock, & plenty of grass. They smash fences regularly, giving me an average of about 3 hours a week of work fixing them.

Even worse are the wood ducks. Locals say they are murder on a veggie patch, luckily I don't want one of those either. They did pull out every shoot of 3 acres of Rhodes grass I planted a couple of years back.

The most annoying thing is they didn't even eat it, when they found it had dirt on the roots, they dropped it & tried the next shoot. I reckon that if the ratbag greens want to stop us eradicating these pests, they should volunteer to spend the 3 weeks it takes for the shoots to get strong roots, acting as scarecrows in our paddocks.

Obviously doing something as useful as scarecrow duty is against their religion, but some do look perfect to impersonate one.

Paul,
Issy is right, chook pens have to be roofed with netting and well made.

I used to head shoot about 200 foxes each winter using a .17 Remington. I can tell you foxes can climb trees, especially rough barked trees.

Would not surprise if some were found not far from your place. Saw one cross the road at Gore Hill cemetary, near RNS hospital.