Chicken Run

[Digit]

I support your ideal on the Fox Ed, but unfortunately our control mad government makes shooting rather difficult. A shot gun is not a suitable weapon for achieving a clean kill because of the difficulty in getting close enough.
Like you I have raised, and killed, and eaten my own stock, and wild animals, and the idea of wounding an animal, whether 'vermin' or not does not sit well.
The only weapon suitable for the task is a rifle, and just try and get a licence for one.
Hunting, with all its faults, is the least worst option.

Roy.

 

[Jake]

Lamping and rifle is very effective.

 

[Digit]

Lamping and rifle is very effective.

It is indeed. One of the problems with the Fox is the 'cuddly bunny syndrome'. Some years ago a council in the west midlands hired a chap to reduce the numbers of urban Foxes.
He had to stop as he was threatened, as were his wife and children!
But the police will still do everything they can to prevent you obtaining fire arms licence.
The ban on hand guns after Dunblane was another example of, ignore the villains, penalise the law abiding.
The ban has probably saved not one life and the ban on Fox hunting has simple resulted in farmers and land owners using other, and possibly less legal methods. It certainly hasn't saved any Foxes.
The argument appears to be that hunting Foxes is ok, provided that you don't enjoy it!
Anglers beware!

Roy.

 

[Jake]

I don't like foxes at all. I grew up in the country and have seen too many times what they do, but I don't think hunting them with hounds is the right way of culling them.

 

[tim]

Whilst I believe there are people who live on a very tight budgets the majority of people in this country would prefer having a packet of fags a can of beer and watch sky sports than eating quality food. That may be a bitter pill to swallow but I believe that is the case.

=D> =D> =D>



Cheers

Tim

 

[Jake]

Tim reminds me that I forgot to say that I agree wholeheartedly with just about everything Ed said!

 

[Digit]

I don't think hunting them with hounds is the right way of culling them.

I look on it as nasty but efficient.

Roy.

 

[Taffy Turner]

You can get a licence for a rifle if you can prove that you need one.

I sign my neighbour's firearm certificate whenever it comes up for renewal.

He is a farmer, and keeps sheep. Without his rifle he would lose a lot of lambs to foxes - as it is he loses at least 3 or 4 every year. It is usually just the one fox that keeps coming back night after night until he is eliminated - usually ones that are old and find it hard to hunt normal fox food like rabbits, moles, etc.

I am all in favour of stopping people without a genuine need getting hold of firearms - I have had quite enough of chucking armed trespassers off my land to last me a lifetime thank you. These idiots go out lamping for rabbits with a .22 rifle, but the trouble is if there are no rabbits about, they start taking pot shots at anything they can find, including our cats, electricity pylon insulators, next door's lambs etc.......

Don't get me started - please!

Gary

PS - Ed has it spot on - the voice of reason at long last!

 

[tim]

Does this thread have to mutate into a hunting debate?

Cheers

Tim

 

[StevieB]

Anyone get the axminster weekly offers by e-mail? Big banner on he bottom this week saying they support free range chickens and a website address for more info. Funny, but I didn't notice it last week, and I bet in a month or so its disappeared again.....

Steve.

 

[Taffy Turner]

I don't think hunting them with hounds is the right way of culling them.

I look on it as nasty but efficient.

Roy.

Efficient ????? - prior to the ban, most hunts would kill an average of 1 or 2 foxes per day hunting. Hardly an efficient means of controlling the fox population!!!! This is why we have not seen the predicted explosion in fox numbers since the ban, it is simply that, despite the hunt propaganda, their effect on fox population density was negligible. Far more foxes are killed on roads than were ever killed by hounds.

As the comedian Andy Parsons once said, if you have a problem with a mouse, you put down a trap to kill it. You don't get 20 of your mates to come round in fancy dress on horse back, all get p*ss*d off your t*ts and chase it around for three hours before ripping it apart whilst still alive!

Gary

 

[Taffy Turner]

Does this thread have to mutate into a hunting debate?

Cheers

Tim

Sorry Tim - one of my "Hot Button" topics I'm afraid.

It is an animal welfare issue though, so is related - sort of.

Gary

 

[Digit]

I didn't suggest it was an efficient way of controlling the Fox population, rather an efficient method of killing.
Lady Mucca was on Question Time, just the once, expounding the fact that during the foot and mouth out break, when hunting was halted, the number of Foxes on her estate did not increase. Ipso facto, hunting was pointless.
Lady Mucca is a fool, foxes are territorial, and when the number of animals that the area will support during the winter is reached, it will increase no further as the youngsters are driven away, either to find territory of their own, or to starve.
Which is the reason for cub hunting. As regards the small number of kills by Hunts, the League against cruel sports listed it as between 50 and 100000. They were also prosecuted for using press adverts to give misleading info.
The committee that Blair set up to look into the matter, at the cost of several million pounds, came down on the side of hunting as an effective control method, particularly here in Wales.
Wrong answer, so the government ignored them and used the Parliament Act to force it through.
When it comes to holding people for 90 days they don't use the Parliament Act, gotta be something amiss there.

Roy.

 

[tim]

Okay - maybe you can start your own thread now.

Of course the topics are both about animal welfare but this thread is specifically about the poultry industry and more loosely about the welfare of other animals raised for food production.

Thanks

Cheers

Tim

 

[Taffy Turner]

Which is the reason for cub hunting.
Roy.

My last word on this subject - honest! As I was born and brought up on a farm, and hunted regularly until I was old enough to decide it was morally unacceptable (to me), I feel I have to correct your erroneous belief.

Cubbing serves two purposes: -

1) To train young and novice hounds.

2) To spread the young foxes around, so as to prevent inbreeding, thus guaranteeing a health fox population for the following year's "sport".

Gary

 

[Digit]

so as to prevent inbreeding

I can see how killing them would do that! 8)

Roy.

 

[Ed]

Hi Guys,

Gary wrote:

PS - Ed has it spot on - the voice of reason at long last!

- I'll have to print that off and show it to the wife.... :lol:

Agree this is about animal husbandry rather than hunting.

My intention was to demonstrate my attitude towards animals as a whole. That I am not against the killing of animals, but I am for the them having a good existence until the big moment comes. The big moment should be quick and clean (and the enjoyment of shooting for me was in using my skill to ensure it is as quick and clean as possible and put food on the table). One moment happy as larry, next moment meeting the God of pigeons, rats, foxes or whatever. (Didn't eat many rats or foxes, but you know what I mean :shock


I believe that applies equally to domesticated food production and hunting. As the top of the food chain we have a duty of care to the animals we eat. Not just to protect that animal, also our own health, it is after all going into our bodies.

Consider BSE, a prime example of where human health has been effected by the relentless drive for profit from food.

Much better to have smaller cuts of quality organic meat and a few more helpings of veg. I can't say we personally eat organically, but it is something I would like to move towards.

Just started an allotment so the plan is Tesco will not be getting as much of our veg purchases this year either. ( No livestock allowed so there won't be any chucks running about. I may give the carrots pet names though)


Cheers

Ed

Born in Bridgend, raised in Pembrokeshire, slumming in Surrey ( Hi to all the people back on the sunny side of the Severn Bridge)

Edit: Spelling

 

[Richard@Axminster]

Hi everyone,

On a lighter note... My Mum is Rosie who works in the APTC Canteen! The Chicken and Ham pie was fantastic!

 

[Ed]

Mmmm Chicken and Ham Pieee.... ( Said in a Homer Simpson fashion) :lol:

Congrats to your Mum Richard . Looked like a great success.

 

[tim]

Hi everyone,

On a lighter note... My Mum is Rosie who works in the APTC Canteen! The Chicken and Ham pie was fantastic!

I saw that and said to my wife that that looked like a pie made by a proper cook!

Congrats to her!

Cheers

Tim