Dead Fox

[Teabag]

There are two breeds of cattle that stampede in an instant, Limousin and Blonde D'Aquitane. They're dark red or black in colour, and pretty muscular. Avoid them.

You mean the latter breed are blonde dont you ?
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[Jack The Lad]

You mean the latter breed are blonde dont you ?
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Oops.. yes you're right. A purebred Blonde is indeed... blonde!

In my defence, they're commonly crossbred with Friesians, and the offspring tend to look similar to Limousins... gets complicated doesn't it?

 

[Staples]

yeah thanks for the smartness. but anyway i don't own the land and there is a lot of wire. glad it's such a joke to you clubman.

You'll find you won't get to 38,000 posts by confining yourself to constructive comments.

 

[DavyJones]

All this talk about cows reminds me of a joke: what has a pregnant cow and fermanagh got in common?

They're both near Cavan,

 

[Yoltan]

yeah thanks for the smartness. but anyway i don't own the land and there is a lot of wire. glad it's such a joke to you clubman. I'm not talking about a road I'm talking about a hedge. Big difference. Animals and other wild life dont have any other places to live these days.

I don't think the reply was funny either. Your question was genuine but sadly I don't have an answer for you. Pity some people aren't as compassionate.

 

[Jack The Lad]

As regards foxes and such like ending up as carpets on the road, there appears to be a device to protect animals.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~foxwatchireland/

I emailed the company that's supposed to sell these devices a week ago, but no reply. Pity, I would have liked to use one.

 

[Madangan]

I'm a farmer, and despite public perception, most of us are proud to see wildlife thriving on our land; and there are fewer sights as heartwarming as watching a vixen coax her cubs out of a ditch to cross a field, paying no heed to you working the field in your tractor. Seriously... it's as good as anything on the Discovery channel.

You are the first farmer I have ever heard saying anything good about foxes. Have to say that I have very little time for them myself given that over the years they have killed chickens,ducks ,sheep ,calves and a pregnant cow belonging to various neighbours.

 

[ubiquitous]

You are the first farmer I have ever heard saying anything good about foxes. Have to say that I have very little time for them myself given that over the years they have killed chickens,ducks ,sheep ,calves and a pregnant cow belonging to various neighbours.

Foxes? Or farmers?

 

[Jack The Lad]

You are the first farmer I have ever heard saying anything good about foxes. Have to say that I have very little time for them myself given that over the years they have killed chickens,ducks ,sheep ,calves and a pregnant cow belonging to various neighbours.

Chickens, ducks, and lambs I understand... but calves... and a pregnant cow? That's unusual!

I guess I'm less concerned about the foxes because I don't have any small animals on the farm, just cows and cattle. I've never heard of calves or cows being killed by a fox, and to be honest, I think it's unlikely. (Unless maybe, at a stretch, the calves in question had literally just been born and their mothers unable to get up to defend them.) I regularly see "our" vixen trot through a field of cattle, and neither party seems too interested in the other. If the same fox turned up in a field of ewes and lambs the atmosphere would change in an instant!

 

[Jack The Lad]

Foxes? Or farmers?

Brilliant!!!

 

[bullbars]

Chickens, ducks, and lambs I understand... but calves... and a pregnant cow? That's unusual!

I would second that; a fox would not be able to kill a cow or a calf. New born calf/ very sick or dying cow possibly. Calves given a week or two are fairly lively and well to throw back the legs in defence, even yearlings( been on the receiving end once or twice!) I would suspect a pack of dogs first and even at that the cow would more than likely have been dead before the attack. Foxes are stalkers not pack hunters. They wouldnt waste so much energy trying to bring down cattle. A cow/bullock can weigh in at near a ton and a fox wouldnt stand a chance. A good protective ewe will give a fox a run for its money never mind a cow!

 

[jmayo]

...
Cattle are lovely creatures most of the time. They can be very serene, curious, and playful! But you have to remember that fully grown they are also very big, well over 1/2 ton in weight. You also have to remember that they hang out together in a herd, and therefore you are dealing not with individual animals, but a herd mentality. They get frightened very easily. If one animal takes fright because your coat unexpectedly flaps in the wind, the whole herd are likely to presume the worst and leg it out of there as fast as they can. That's pretty much a stampede, and that's where people and animals can get hurt. There are two breeds of cattle that stampede in an instant, Limousin and Blonde D'Aquitane. They're dark red or black in colour, and pretty muscular. Avoid them.

There's also the danger of a moody bull, and if you're unfortunate enough to encounter one of those he will outrun you surprisingly fast. He can be hidden among the cows in a large herd, especially in the spring time, so you might not see him at first glance. Cows with newborn calves can also be agressive, and act similarly to a bull.

Having said all that, under the right circumstances, it's nice to say hello to a cow. They're very grounded and serene when they're relaxed, and they'll share that with you. Find a farmer who'll accompany you, or try an open/holiday farm where the cows are used to being petted by strangers, but don't venture unannounced into a field of unknown cattle. Or maybe just admire them from behind the safety of a gate, or a well fenced hedge! Or go to the ploughing match in October, or a county fair. The cattle on show there are very quiet, and the farmer will be standing beside them to introduce you.

You must have very nervous cows there. Flapping coats ?
I know they will eat themif they are left in the field.
I now have images of a mixture of Rawhide and the Kerry Coop ad for butter.
BTW one should always keep an eye out for the cow with one teat

I would second that; a fox would not be able to kill a cow or a calf. New born calf/ very sick or dying cow possibly. Calves given a week or two are fairly lively and well to throw back the legs in defence, even yearlings( been on the receiving end once or twice!) I would suspect a pack of dogs first and even at that the cow would more than likely have been dead before the attack. Foxes are stalkers not pack hunters. They wouldnt waste so much energy trying to bring down cattle. A cow/bullock can weigh in at near a ton and a fox wouldnt stand a chance. A good protective ewe will give a fox a run for its money never mind a cow!

There is no way I can see foxes taking a calf never mind a cow.
Yep foxes are loners most of the time and the reason they have the cunning description is because that is what they are.
A goat can also give them a good run for their money.